Pitbull Bans
The Mutt Watch is taking the week off and instead I will focus on PitBull Bans. The St. Petersburg Times had a article on the topic on April 10, 2010 titled “Fears unleash bill targeting the pit bull” by Leonora LaPeter Anton and Lane DeGregory.
“For the past three years, Edna Elijah has carried a baseball bat when she walks because her neighbors have been attacked by dogs. Once, she had a run-in with a dog “that looked like a pit bull.” She wasn’t injured, but her words resonated with the right people. So recently, legislators in Tallahassee have been considering a bill to regulate dogs by breed . . .The bill proposed by Rep. Perry Thurston, D-Plantation, passed a senate committee last month. It would not outright ban any breed, but it would give communities the ability to require muzzling, neutering or additional insurance for certain dogs, measures that critics say would have the same effect as a ban.”
This article has several good points.
The Times examined whether pitbull are the most common breed in fatal dog attacks. They aren’t. “To regulate the kind of dogs that have killed people in Florida, lawmakers would have to crack down on not just pit bulls but boxers, presa canarios, American bulldogs, golden retrievers, Labradors, Australian shepherds, Weimaraners, Rottweilers and maybe even those chubby, comical Welsh corgis.”
The Tampa Tribune created a dog bite tracker from 2404 reported dog bite incidents from the Hillsborough County Department of Animal Services for the 18 month period of time between January 2008 through July 2009. This allows you to filter by breed or other type of data . Skimming the data until I got tired, I found that Labrador Retrievers were involved in over 150 biting incidents. Dachsunds 75. Chihuaha 55. American PitBulls were involved only in 7 incidents.
Also The Times noted that some of the “pitbulls” involved in attacks are actually other dogs are mistaken for pitbulls. “ The term “pit bull” does not always refer to the American Pit Bull Terrier . . . More commonly, it is used informally to describe a type of dog that encompasses several similar breeds, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Those dogs share some physical characteristics, but they’re not the same. There is a lot of confusion, even among dog experts, about what a pit bull is exactly. In general, pit bull-type dogs are medium-sized, around 35 to 55 pounds, with short coats and wedge-shaped heads. They are considered affectionate, loyal and strong. Taken as a group they are by some estimates the most common and popular dog in the history of the United States. American Pit Bull Terriers are slim, athletic dogs, and according to the breed standard should never be muscle-bound, overly large or aggressive to people. Picture Petey from The Little Rascals. And yet stories of pit bull maulings abound in the media. In many of those cases, the dogs turn out to be boxers, mastiffs, American bulldogs, or some other strong, big-headed breed.
In fact the common element was not the breed but the actions by humans. ”In one case, pit bulls with an apparently responsible owner attacked for no known reason. In every other case, regardless of breed, human error or irresponsible ownership was a contributing factor: The dogs were allowed to run loose or were left unsupervised with small children. They had unknown histories, had not been neutered or licensed, or were kept chained in back yards. Owners had ignored warning signs.”
Common sense needs to be used instead of banning pitbulls.
Make sure your dog can’t escape your yard. Be proactive and fix weak spots, such as low fences, gaps under fences, and remove items piled up next to a fence that can be used to climb over the fence. Put barriers down to prevent dog from digging under.
Keep your dog leashed when outside the home.
Young children should not be left alone with dogs.
Dogs and parties are not a good idea. The dog may try to get food items from people. The dog might get stepped on or tripped over in the crowd. Drunks might try to do something stupid to the dog.
Use a reputable positive trainer. Skip the prong collars and harsh training treatments.
Don’t leave a dog chained up. This is the law that needs to be passed instead of banning pitbulls.
What thoughts do you have on the subject?
I totally agree with you and I am against banning dogs by breeds. I’m also against government getting involved and telling me what kind of pet I can and can’t have. There is no such thing as a bad breed. Only ignorant irresponsible owners. I really believe that. What I would like to know, is what can the public do to shut this argument down once and for all. I remember signing a petition a few years back about this very subject yet, here it is rearing its’ ugly head again. It seems to me that one thing that could be done, is require owners to take classes before they choose a particular breed. That way, tailored breed history, temperments, etc. could be taught so the owner isn’t an ignorant clod. Nothing like having someone get a dog like a jack russell only to find out that it’s a little too hyper for them. This way, people would be able make an educated decision concerning ownership. Also, if people had to commit to classes before adopting an animal, the morons of the world just might reconsider and leave the animal for a more responsible owner to come along.
I agree. It’s the people who raise and breed pitbulls for aggressive activities who are at fault. Organized dog fighting is rampant and needs to be stopped. Chaining dogs needs to be stopped. Uneducated dog owners need education.
I’m sorry but I disagree. The Pit Bull has been the fight dog of choice for decades and has been bred generation upon generation for one purpose – to kill and fight.
This is a simple fact. Time and again I have heard the argument of the well meaning that this dog only reflects the personality and leadership of its owner. This is only true to an extent. Any and every animal will follow its basic instinct. The DNA with which it is programmed on a genetic level at some point will override all good intentions. These animals should not be among the public. The same goes for the Carna Pressario. There are so many breeds of dogs to love and enjoy. Ask yourself- what is it about me that requires a large aggressive dog to be my pet of choice when there are so many other wonderful and deserving breeds?
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Beckette – Your answer only demonstrates your ignorance with regard to this topic. The breed to which you refer as a Carna Pressario is a Presa Canario; furthermore, if you were to DNA test a pit bull and a labrador retriever you would find that they are nearly 99.99% the same. Pit bulls are not inherently evil, they were bred for a specific body type and desire to please that allows them to be an excellent breed for dog fighting. In fact, they were bred specifically NOT to attack humans so that those who were fighting them could break up a fight without worry of being attacked. Pit bulls as a breed LOVE humans, their desperation to please their owners is a reason why they make such a good fighting breed. Pit bulls were actually the most popular family dog in the 1930’s and a pit bull was even a decorated hero in WWII. With this being said, pit bulls are not for everyone, they need strong owners who will discipline and train them properly. This is true of every breed. Any one interested in owning a dog should research the breed and choose one that is a good fit, not one that will make them feel tough or because they think they are cute. BSL will not help anyone, it will only break the hearts of responsible pit bull owners.
Everyone must remember that dogs act as they are trained. ANY breed can be dangerous if you train them to do so. Pit bulls be a very bad rap due to very bad people owning them. I have a pit bull breed that could not be sweeter. So before pointing the finger at the breed you must point the finger at the OWNER. Thanks for the article.
Finally a blog post that’s worth reading. There’re specific things I disagree although haha. =))
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