of Pit Bulls and morons....

Talking about "unholy alliances"...

2012-01-09T17:33:00.000-06:00

My foe, DubV, once again pourswater on a duck’s ass and “alerts” me to yet another masterpiece of foaming-at-the-mouth rhetoric. This time an “article” writtenby Branwyne Finch, a self-proclaimed “expert” and “contributor” to the blogs oftwo ladies whose life-goals are to kill dogs.

I have no idea who Branwyne Finch is, what arehis qualifications, or whether anything about what he writes has any value. Ishe a geneticist? An animal behaviorist? A sociologist? A veterinarian? Or is he a self-serving mouthpiecefor two women who have nothing better to do with their lives than to denigratean entire dog breed?

Finch writes well; however heself-references exclusively the blogs written by these two ladies and this putsa serious dent in his credibility. Given that these blogs are read ONLY by folkswho are already convinced by the righteousness of their “cause,” he is “preachingto the choir.” He sounds convincing and reasonable, however, the numbers he is “citing”are pulled out of thin air and the arguments he uses are exactly of the samecaliber as those used by “pit nutters” (as these people, globally, call us).

At some point in his diatribe,Finch states “It has become increasinglyapparent that a relatively small but vocal group of people who are fanciers ofdangerous dog breeds have managed to form an unholy alliance with the dogbreeder lobby and animal welfare organizations to ensure that the breeding and ownershipof dangerous dogs goes completely unregulated.”

I wish Mr. Finch did not lumpall of us together. MY cadre of Pit Bull fanciers has little tolerance forbackyard Pit Bull breeders or breeders in general. We are definitely NOTaligned with any organizations that promote “the breeding and ownership ofdangerous dogs.” We loathe criminal behavior and cringe at the thought of dogs fightingeach other. Infact, what Mr. Finch wishes for (i.e., “a call for cracking down on criminals and backyard breedersproducing the glut of unstable dogs, a call for breed clubs to redefine ethicalbreeding practices, and a strong commitment to breeding away from theaggressive behavior, including dog aggression that defines the pit bull breed”) is EXACTLY the focus of our endeavors.

Mr. Finch’s statement that Pit Bull fanciers promote unregulatedownership of dangerous dogs is patently false. What we want is a distinctionbetween a “dangerous dog” and Pit Bulls. In his mind and in those of his cult,the two are synonymous.

What Finch purposely misstates is that we are a “relativelysmall” group. Actually, there are tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of us whoare rational, thoughtful, socially responsible, and kind human beings who justhappen to love a dog that gives us and our families much pleasure and improvesthe quality of our lives.

Probably much to his surprise,we (genuine Pit Bull fanciers) completely agree with Finch’s conclusions. Thoseof us who work to rescue Pit Bulls and advocate responsible ownership will automaticallyspay and neuter the dogs and will foster and re-home only those dogs that areanimal and human friendly. Demandingdogs are paired with experienced handlers and placed in families that areappropriate for the dog. The gauntlet of tests and the level of scrutiny throughwhich prospective adopters AND the dogs have to pass is probably matched onlyby the FBI applicants.

If Mr. Finch were trulyinterested in our society’s welfare, he ought to go after the criminals and thegreedy breeders who unconscionably perpetuate the existence of animals andsituations that are dangers to our society. Not OUR dogs!

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2011-12-21T15:20:00.001-06:00

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A Tale of Two Cities

2011-12-21T14:05:00.002-06:00

There are these two towns in Nebraska: Rushville and LaVista.

Rushville, citing a rash of dog attacks, had the City Councilmembers vote unanimously to prohibit pit bulls inside the city limits. They “recentlypassed an ordinance that bans “pit bulls.”‘

http://tinyurl.com/35uvp57

Let’s follow the logic:..”Mayor Chris Heiser said some ofthe problems that prompted the ordinance originated with stray dogs that enterthe city from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Although other breeds causeproblems, pit bull attacks are often more dangerous, he said. "In 2009 wehad 10 dog bites, and of those only one was from a pit bull," Heiser said.But he added that, due to the strength of their jaws, a pit bull attack cancause much more harm that a bite from a Chihuahua (sic!). "We have talkedabout (making an ordinance) before, and we currently have a vicious dogordinance. We're just trying to catch up with the times," he said. http://tinyurl.com/7k84htj

So, to summarize… the town has a problem with stray dogs,they had 10 dog bites in 2009, one of which was a “pit bull,” so the city makesthe decision to ban Pit Bulls. Now THAT ought to protect the citizenry.

Our colleague Jodi Preis of Bless the Bullys fame, tells usabout another city ion Nebraska.

"The LaVista City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance to cope withpotentially dangerous dogs and their owners.”

“The ordinance, whichwill take effect Jan. 1, gives the Nebraska Humane Society the power to declarea dog as "potentially dangerous" if the dog is unprovoked and attacksand injures a person or another pet.

Unprovoked dog chases,or a tendency to attack or threaten animals or people, could also lead to thetag of potentially dangerous.

http://tinyurl.com/8yedmpl

Mark Langan, a vicepresident for the Humane Society, said similar measures have been effective inother cities. He said only about 100 dogs in Omaha have been declaredpotentially dangerous since the city's ordinance took effect in 2009.

Dogs, regardless ofbreed, can be classified as potentially dangerous only after an incident thatleads to the intimidation, injury or attack on another animal or human.

"It holds theowner responsible, which I think is key to this," said Councilman Kelly Sell.”

http://tinyurl.com/7u8jt65

So, dear reader, what makes sense? An ordinance thatprohibits Pit Bulls or an ordinance that holds the owners of ANY dangerous animalresponsible?

You tell me…

TIME Magazine's "Top 10 Heroic Animals

2011-12-05T14:41:00.001-06:00

Top 10 Heroic Animals

Eighty-five years after his death, guess who make TIMEMagazine’s "Top 10 Heroic Animals?" Sergeant Stubby, a Pit Bull.

Some sources speculated that he waspart Boston Terrier and part Pit Bull, while other sources state that he was infact a pure bred American Pit Bull. His obituary described him as a "Bullterrier" (which was, at the time, synonymous with "American BullTerrier" and "Pit Bull terrier"). One thing is for sure: he was not a Shih-Tzu.

At the Smithsonian

Sgt. Stubby's endeavors are well chronicled. Just follow thelinks at the bottom, if you are interested. Stubby was made a life member of the AmericanLegion, the Red Cross, and the YMCA. In 1921, the Humane Education Societyawarded him a special gold medal for service to his country. It was presentedby General John Pershing.

Riffenberg’s blog reminds us of the unavoidable irony thatthe dog that was the most decorated military dog in the history of UnitedStates, today would not be allowed on any of America’s military bases.

Way to go people: take something precious and turn it intoanathema.

As a note to all dog haters out there: four of the “Top 10Heroic Animals” are dogs. Trackr, the 9/11 hero, was cloned five times. Mei Chan, the “loyal tsunami dog is a Brittanyspaniel. Brittanies are genuinelysweet bird dogs. Togo the Sled Dog is a Siberian Husky, Trackr was a GermanShepherd, and Sgt. Stubby a Pit Bull. With the exception of Mei Chan's, all the others' breeds frequently make the top 10 “viciousdogs” lists of people who use such terminology.

References:

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergeant_Stubby

Smithsonian - The Price of Freedom: American at War.

http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/collection/object.asp?ID=15

History Wired

http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=519

A Connecticut Hero

http://www.governorsfootguard.com/stubby/

Disonancia

http://arztriper.tumblr.com/post/1406735279/ryanmfraser-sergeant-stubby-1916-or-1917

Riffenberg's blog: U.S. & World Political News &Opinion

The Most Decorated Dog in History Would Not Be Allowed onMilitary Bases Today.

http://riffenberg.wordpress.com/2010/09/26/the-most-decorated-dog-in-history-would-not-be-allowed-on-military-bases-today/

Sgt. Stubby: American War Dog

http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/sgt-stubby-american-war-dog/

The most hated dog in America? Depends on the decade.

2011-11-28T10:59:00.001-06:00

My “esteemed critic” is at “it” again - splitting hairs. S/heutters in Comments to my previous posting: “Blameis an incorrect way to frame this issue. Dogs are not moral agents. Therefore,they cannot be blamed. Their behavior can be influenced by breed genetics. Itis best to think in terms of cause and effect."

Cute. S/he uses the usual red herring - quibble about minutiae to distract from the message.

About the history of the breed

Cesar Millan's is not a native English speaker. I am notsure whether he said what it’s attributed to him, or whether he said it first,or whether he said it at all, etc. OK, s/he doesn’t like “blame.” To appease our prevaricator, we can replace “blame”with asperse, attack, bad-mouth, blot, blotch, calumniate, decry, defame,defile, denigrate, dishonor, do a number on, give a black eye, knock, libel,malign, rip up and down, rip, slander, slur, smudge, stain, sully, taint,tarnish, traduce, vilify, or any other similarly-meaning word from a thesaurus.

The historical facts remain that at different times in thehistory of this country people had the same visceral hatred for specific breedsof dogs that Bully-haters demonstrate for Pit Bulls now.

The entire argument that Pit Bulls are dangerous because themedia reports fatal dog attacks is an egregious example of post-hoc ergopropter hoc type argument. It’s a huge logical fallacy and my detractors knowthis. But an agenda is an agenda and, quite obviously, selling your soul issecondary to that.

To spare the readers of this blog a serious tensionheadache, I will NOT engage in a nature vs. nurture argument here. I know for afact that I can modify the behavior of the dog to conform to the needs, rules,and social requirements of the milieu in which it lives. A glancing shot at “nurture”here: as everybody who cares to learn about Pit Bull terriers knows, the animalsthat WE call Pit Bulls have been genetically selected AGAINST human-aggression.Cause and effect? Really? Science deals with probabilities. The probabilitythat ANY of my Pit Bulls will bite anybody… ever… is ZERO.

I reiterate a statement that I, and all similar-mindedpeople, hold as truth: Only owners who take the responsibility of a Pit Bullownership SERIOUSLY should have Pit Bulls in their families. Is this not anunequivocal and pretty clear statement?

In the hands of responsible owners, a Pit Bull of any sortis not more likely to harm a person than any other breed of dog. IF, my PitBull bites you, brother, you have the right to take me to court, sue the hellout of me for medical bills, pain and suffering, and whatever else you and yourshyster desire. Plus, you also have the right to have criminal charges broughtagainst me.

What you DON’T have, Bully-hater, is the right to assume thatmy dog will bite you because s/he happens to look like a dog you don’t like.

I will fight you and your pals with all the resources availableto me to prevent you from empowering police, dog catchers, sexual deviants, andwhoever you care to name to come barging into my house and kill my dogs becausethey simply LOOK like a dog you don’t like.

When Will "They" Blame the Humans?

2011-11-08T02:28:00.001-06:00

Posted by my nephew on his FB wall... I like it.

Life magazine covers

2011-11-03T21:23:00.001-05:00

According to SFGate the

home of the

"The Pit Bull is the only dog to have graced the cover of Life magazine three times."

To “Nanny-Dog” or “Not To Nanny-Dog,” that is not the question

2011-10-31T01:28:00.000-05:00

To “Nanny-Dog” or “Not ToNanny-Dog,” that is not the question

To continue the talk of the deaf....

Science, or scientificresearch, does not answer the question ‘why.’ Scientific inquiry deals withprobabilities. For example, if event “A” happens, what is the likelihood thatit will be followed by event “B” or event “X?”

So, if we call the Pit Bull a“Nanny Dog” what’s the probability of someone getting bitten or killed by a PitBull? Conversely, if we agree that Pit Bulls are too dangerous to have everbeen called “Nanny Dogs,” what is the probability that someone will show up atmy door and want to take my dogs away and kill them?

So let me set up a decisionmaking matrix to see which way I would rather err..

The decision-making matrixwill depend on the payoff.

	Null Hypothesis (H₀) is true Nanny Dogs	Alternative Hypothesis (H₁) is true Not Nanny Dogs
Accept Null Hypothesis Nanny Dogs	Right decision	Wrong decision Type II Error
Reject Null Hypothesis Not Nanny Dogs	Wrong decision Type I Error	Right decision

H₀is False and I call it False – we continue calling PitBulls “Nanny Dogs.” All Pit Bulls are loved and owned by responsible families. If we make a Type II error –some people get bitten, maimed, or killed. The proposition is to mitigate theType II error by educating the public and make them “bite-proof.” Which is whatthe experts tell us to do. The number of Pit Bull (or any dog) bites decreases.

H_ois true and we fail to reject it – we state that Pit Bulls are not “NannyDogs” (because… they are vicious – otherwise why not call them potential“Nannies?”). Millions of dogs get killed, ownership is penalized, moregovernmental control is put in place, people learn to be helpless becausesomebody else will take care of them, individual responsibility is, once again,minimized, and OTHER type of dogs will bite, maim and kill. A Type I error is vastly mostcostly, if you care about dogs, freedom, responsibility, and are one of thehundreds of thousand of us who love Pit Bulls.

My opponents’ aim is “prove”that the Pit Bull was not named a “Nanny Dog” (because “it couldn’t possibly,look at the terrible evidence we have..”) thereby further demonizing an animalthat doesn’t deserve it. My projection of his/her desired outcome: nothing willchange, except hundreds of thousands of more dogs will be killed. Cities thatbanned Pit Bulls have NOT seen a decrease in dog bite fatalities. I can bring statisticssupportive of this statement. Their supporters: people who have been bitten bydogs, people who are afraid of their shadows and want Big Brother to protectthem, politicians, media, and breeders.

My aim is educate the publicand let it know that the dogs are safe when handled properly and the publicneeds to learn some basic knowledge to protect itself against DOG bites. Isaid, DOG, not Pit Bull, on purpose.

http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/dog-bites/biteprevention.html

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/avoid_dog_bites.html

http://www.akc.org/insurance/tips_dogbites.cfm

http://www.animallaw.info/journals/jo_pdf/lralvol13_1_p129.pdf

The focus of Bully-haters remains heavily on the dog’s conductrather than on the owner’s conduct,which, to me, seems misguided. Owner conduct is easier to correct through law,education or other means, which is more likely to promote owner accountabilityfor dogs in the future. Focusing on the dog’s actions may mean it is destroyedas ‘dangerous’ while the owner can still get a new dog, a new kind of dog, oran alligator and act equally irresponsibly in the future.

Calling Pit Bulls “Nanny Dogs” seems to irk a cadre ofBully-haters to such extreme that makes me wonder not only about their agenda,but also about their mental health. In a country in which up to 300 kids arekilled each year by their biological parents we worry about what a Pit Bull mayor not have been called? What a costly investment of misplaced priorities,energy, time and resources this is.

Just in case I have not stated my intentions clearly, the goalsof this blog have always been and remain to:

1. Debunk the bad rap my favorite dogbreed gets;

2. Provide (however biased) evidence thatPit Bulls have been vilified by the media ad nauseam;

3. Present evidence that close-minded people use b.s. published in the media tofurther their own agenda with no regard to whom it may harm;

4. Provide whatevermeans I can muster to show off Pit Bulls as the great pet that they are in theright hands and with proper treatment;

5. Remind theuneducated that the breed was bred for dog-aggression NOT human-aggression andthat two are vastly different from each other;

6. Help the PitBull by convincing folks to a) spay or neuter their dogs; b) understand andassume responsibility of dog ownership; c) behave as they want others behavetowards them; d) put unethical and immoral breeders out of business; e) stopdog-fighting; f) prevent the killing of nearly 500,000 Pit Bulls every year byrescuing, fostering, training and adopting as many of them as possible; and g)stop ill-equipped, uneducated, mean-spirited, angry individuals from showing upat MY doorstep and take and kill my dogs simply because they look likesomething a politician thought of as not deserving to live

So,it’s not about “Nanny Dogs” at all. It’s about BSL, stupid!

Moreabout that later.

The Nanny Dog issue - redux

2011-10-30T00:41:00.001-05:00

Mydiscussion opponent seems unconvinced that Pit Bulls were ever called “nannydogs.”

I guessthat means he will not be adopting a Pit Bull sentenced to die, any time soon.

Were PitBulls called "nanny dogs." Who knows? The thousands of pictures wesee seem to support the notion that a lot of people liked them and have noproblems with the dogs being around their children. We don't know what peoplecalled them. Just because it's not in the papers, doesn't mean people didn'tcall them "nannies." Do people call TVs nannies? I don't know, butsure as hell they use TVs/video games as nannies.

My evidencefor "nannyhood?" Thousands of vintage pictures. My “friend's”evidence? Sensation-seeking media. My experience? Thousands of owners I knowwho adore their dogs. His? Somebody got bitten by a dog she thinks it was a PitBull.

MY dogswould OK with families with children. Would I leave them alone with mygrandchild? Absolutely not. Why not? Because NO DOG should be left unsupervisedwith a child. I have an article about a Pomeranian killing a baby.

If you are interested in the truth, do find the nearest Pit Bull owners' gathering in yourarea and visit them. Talk to the people. Spend some time around the dogs. I think you will bepleasantly surprised that the Pit Bull is not the ogre it is made out to be.OTOH, you can walk with me through the areas where I see clients in theevenings and weekends and you will see 12-year-olds with a Pit Bull on a ropelooking for an impromptu street dog fight. Do you know what would happen if PitBull haters managed to kill all the Pit Bulls? We, who love these animals andcommit ourselves to responsible ownership would be deprived of our companionsand the misguided 'users', greedy breeders, and macho criminals would switch toPresa Canarios. I wish they did, already. L

Last fewDooDah Days - when our city parades its pets - tens of thousands of them - wesaw a lot of people and a lot of dogs and cats. Nobody flinched at the sight ofmy Pit Bulls. In fact they just smiled at my T-shirt that says "Owned by aPit Bull." Then I joined the Bama Bully Rescue booth and the dozenabsolutely delightful young ladies who were working to educate the public andadopt out some of our dogs.

What is theofficial position of the CDC and American Veterinary Medical Association?Educate the public in dog bite prevention! Do they advocate the use of PitBulls as "nannies?" Nope. But they also emphasize that one cannotascertain "viciousness" based on breed. Certainly, not with the 79people maimed or killed by so-called Pit Bulls that my “friend’s” friend is sofond of citing and not with ANY available scientifically documented data.

Was I everbitten by a dog? Of course I was. By a Deutscher Schäferhund... I was a childand I was teasing it. You know what happens when a child teases a trained,well-cared for and balanced Pit Bull? NOTHING! It will probably lick the kid.Pit Bulls are tolerant, loyal, gentle, and loving. My dogs would rather bepetted than eat. The dozens of people with Pit Bulls we walked with in the parklast Friday, many of whom were children, seem to agree with me.

Are the "Nanny Dogs" a Myth?

2011-10-28T16:36:00.000-05:00

My esteemed critic DubV asks: "do you still think pit bull's were ever the or a nanny dog?"

Here is my reply:

ANY point of view is supportable by simply cherry-picking supportive “evidence.” Notoriously, in research, it is not unusual for one to cite a hundred articles that support the findings of the research and ignore most, if not all, the ones that would contradict it. Similarly, when deposed or asked to act as an expert witness in forensic work, we have been taught not to cite references supporting our point of view, because the opposition has just as many “expert witnesses” who will bring to bear references that state the contrary view. Any good expert witness, and I think I am one, states his or her OPINION and supports it with HIS or HER findings.
History is “truth” as seen from the perspective of the writer of history. I believe that our knowledge of history of the past is nothing but a recitation of “facts” as ordered by the winner of war(s) or whoever is in power.
Beliefs are acquired through: a) learning (experience); b) what an authority tells us; c) consensus. All three can be faulty. I know you can think of examples of each.

A Google search of the phrase “nannydog historical fact” yields 1.5 million hits, much of it “”noise.” However, thevast majority of hits on the top few pages will be supportive of the idea,while the minority who calls us “nutters,” holds the opinion that this is a myth.

CKing and Craven Desires, who dedicated their MySpace page to “debunking” the “myth of the nanny dog” are “friends” with a dozenkennels that breed “pit bulls” (note the quotation marks), bring NO evidencethat the American Pit Bull Terrier was NOT a family dog at the turn of thecentury and into the 40s and 50s, and by failing to find evidence of “historicalfact” conclude that the whole things is a myth. It’s the classical “Bertrand’s(Russells’) Teapot,” or argumentum ad ignorantiam – indeed, the absence of proof is not proof of absence. Therant starts with a false premise, quite thoroughly contradicted by both the CDCand the American Veterinary Medical Association (the number of children killedby “pit bulls). Further impugning the person’s credibility, at the very top ofhis/her page, this person starts with an image that paraphrases Joseph Goebbels,Adolf Hitler’s Propaganda Minister in Nazi Germany. What a perfect example ofGodwin’s Law.

That My Space post has been cut and pasted verbatim by several other bloggers.

CUI BONO?

Personally, I prefer to give credence to the American Pit Bull Foundation:

“The American Pit Bull Terrier was not bred for human aggression or for use as a guard dog. Rather, bred for their unmatchable will, high tolerance for pain, and their athletic abilities. They are good caretakers who are intelligent, loving, and alert. Combine all of these factors together, and you have the recipe for a companion animal that does well with children when properly trained. Pit Bulls make great search and rescue dogs and many serve as therapy assistance animals. The Nanny Dog story dates back to the 19th century where the Pit Bull was a popular choice as a companion animal for children based on their docile temperament. Certain sites will have you believe that the Nanny Dog story is a myth, such as the Truth about Pit Bulls blog, yet if you read such sites, you will see that these individuals are making assumptions based on comparisons of dog aggression and human aggression as if the two are related to one another. For example, one of the implied ides on the site mentioned is the thought that the Pit Bull could be the perfect family companion by day and be the throat ripping monster fighter in a ring by night. What these authors do not grasp is the fact that a scenario of this sort is not only completely plausible, but did, and does exist. Because of how Pit Bull fighting and over-breeding has evolved, coupled with the fact that people can’t understand that dog aggression and human aggression are not the least bit related, most do not comprehend that the family Pit Bull often shared a bed with the kids, ate dinner with the family, saw a veterinarian on a regular basis, and when it was time, was thrown into a ring by his master. When a fight was over, rarely was a death of a dog the end result.

The other side of the Nanny Dog involves those who were companions in the wars. Many Pit Bulls/Staffordshire Terriers would accompany their masters to their posts. There are several war stories and memorandums in dedication to the breed for their courageous efforts and their therapeutic loyalty to injured soldiers.

There are still stories today involving heroic efforts for the family children that the media passes right over. Two recent cases involve a Pit Bull pulling a baby’s basinet through a home away from a fire, and another involves a Pit Bull alerting his owner to a strangling child. Both children were safe in the outcomes. Though bad people do bad things with dogs and tragedies result from their negligence, this breed by nature is not the culprit, they are often the reason that children are removed from harm.

Myths or beliefs, past or present, the nature of this breed emulates a loyal companion and sheppard for children when brought up in the right hands. We share our home with two Nanny Dogs.”

http://www.americanpitbullfoundation.com/Home.html

Considering all of the above, IBELIEVE that the “nanny dog” moniker is well-deserved with the appropriatecautions: 1) no dog of any kind should ever be left unsupervised with a youngchild; 2) a dog should be treated with the respect that a family companiondeserves; 3) a dog should be trained every day of his/her life; 4) a Pit Bullof any kind is not for everyone.

Just an aside... the original "nanny dog" name was attached to an English breed of dogs, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

The REAL American Pit Bull Terrier?

2011-09-04T19:49:00.001-05:00

I have been having aninteresting, albeit unproductive, discussion with a blog reader. My opponent is,quite obviously, intelligent, rational, literate, cogent, and capable of doingresearch to support his/her perspective. Yet, we are so apart in our respectivestances regarding Pit Bulls that we will never be able to agree on anyessential point.

How is this possible?

It occurred to me that wemay be talking about two different dogs. I am talking about the real AmericanPit Bull Terrier. The one that averages 50 lbs in weight and looks like this:

I think he must be talkingabout these “monsters” that are bastartizations of the breed and most of the rescue people I work with and owners of Pit Bulls I know would consider an affront to the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris and the Homo sapiens species alike.

I will make sure that my newrescues are sweet, people and animal friendly, properly training, and alwayssupervised and under my control.

AMERICA'S NANNY DOG

2011-06-11T23:13:00.000-05:00

Yonah Ward Grossman is an erudite and prolific poster/blogger whose observations are delivered with a fine sense of humor. I recommend his blog both for edification and a grin. http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/

Recently he posted a series of articles on Pit Bulls which I recommend to all. He graciously acquiesced to let me use some “antique” pix of Pit Bulls as seen through the lens of the camera in the early 1900s. That was a time when Pit Bulls where considered not only America’s dogs, but also America’s “nanny dogs.”

As he states so eloquently, “America’s Nanny Dog is the victim of a smear campaign that has turned common sense upside-down and robbed us of our historical memory. The dogs that we trusted with our children’s lives are now deemed too vicious to live among us. The dogs that in two World Wars were the symbol of the United States military itself are now ordered off its bases. The Pit Bulls haven’t changed at all. Only the owners have.”

I am posting here some of the pictures he has on his blogs and some which I have found on the Internet over the years. I find them all delightful. I hope the readers of this blog will, too.

Here are the links to Yonas’ blogs about Pit Bulls

THE CRUELEST TRICK EVER PLAYED ON A BREED OF DOG

Posted on May 2, 2011 by YWGROSSMAN
http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=604

FOR OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS AMERICANS KNEW PIT BULLS FOR WHAT THEY DID BEST. BABYSITTING

Posted on May 4, 2011 by YWGROSSMAN
http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=780

FOR OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS AMERICANS KNEW PIT BULLS FOR WHAT THEY DID BEST. BABYSITTING

Posted on May 4, 2011 by YWGROSSMAN
http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=676

RICH OR POOR, AMERICAN PARENTS KNEW EXACTLY WHAT PIT BULLS WERE FAMOUS FOR. BEING GREAT WITH KIDS

Posted on June 2, 2011 by YWGROSSMAN
http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=1103

THE MEDIA REPORTS PIT BULLS ARE THE #1 MOST AGGRESSIVE DOG BREED…

Posted on May 22, 2011 by YWGROSSMAN
http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=954

YOU’RE FACING A GERMAN SHEPHERD, A ROTTWEILER, A DOBERMAN PINSCHER, AND A PIT BULL…

Posted on May 18, 2011 by YWGROSSMAN
http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=853

Enjoy the pictures….

I say let's ban cars!

2010-10-01T23:45:00.000-05:00

In tonight's "Outlaw" the issue was a child who died after having been forgotten in a car. This prompted me to look up some statistics. According to Kids and Cars, a Kansas-based organization, in 2010, a record number of children - 48 - have died of hyperthermia after being left or trapped in a hot car or truck. My heart breaks at the thought of what those parents must be experiencing.

According to the worthless Merritt Clifton "report," the most often cited b.s. source by self-serving entities, such as lawyers and politicians who clearly have an ax to grind, an average of 17 deaths a year are attributable to dog bites. Let's suppose that the shysters (comes from the German term scheisser, meaning “one who defecates”) who try frighten us into suing somebody (actually ANYBODY), are correct and that "the number of fatal dog attacks in the USA has been going up."

Since the response of politicians, the media, and some ill-educate mindless organizations to dog fatalities is to advocate the ban and the murder a million dogs a year, it follows that we should ban cars and/or kill car manufacturers.

Sounds logical to me.

P.S. I am curious... how come no car manufacturer has come up with a gizmo that would ding your head off if you locked and left your kid in the car? Did you know there is no law that says you can't leave your child in the car unattended? You get it? No law, no responsibility. See, we have to legislate common sense.

The Most Dangerous Breeds?

2010-09-19T16:10:00.001-05:00

I really like the Dog Politics Weblog.

This excerpt is from an article published on it:

The Most Dangerous Breeds?

How To Stop Breed Bans - New eBook

I'll tell you the most dangerous breeds - write these down!

#1 All Time Dangerous Breed:

The #1 most dangerous breed are media outlets that deliberately breed fear, spreading myths and lies about dog breeds and canine behavior through irresponsible reporting and reinforcement of undeserved and negative breed stereotypes

What You Can Do About It:

Call up the paper, the TV station or email the website and complain about the biased dog story
Ask for the Editor, Sales Manager and/or Program Director
Tell them you won't read, watch or visit
Tell then you won't patronize their advertisers until they stop their biased coverage
Tell them they have the opportunity to spread knowledge, not fear
Tell them My Dog Votes!

#2 All Time Dangerous Breed:

The #2 most dangerous breeds are the local and state politicians that feed on the fear created by the irresponsible media, and the public's ignorance. They are greedy for the headlines, campaign dough and do the bidding of the private sector instead of truly advocating for the public health, safety and welfare. They pass breed bans , weight or size restrictions, public space bans, and mandatory microchip laws, and other anti-dog legislation limiting the rights of responsible tax-paying citizens rather than deal with their criminal and social problems.

What You Can Do About It:

Call or write the offending local of state elected official and complain about the breed ban or other anti-dog legislation
Tell them you want the ban overturned in favor of breed-neutral legislation
Tell them you want any other anti-dog legislation stopped or overturned
Tell them you will vote them out in the next election
Tell them you will vote out any politician that supported the ban
Tell them you will rally every dog owner in town against them
Tell them they have the opportunity to educate instead of legislate
Tell them My Dog Votes!

#3 All Time Dangerous Breed:

The #3 most dangerous breeds are the apathetic dog owners who say nothing, or do nothing because they think they cannot affect change, or fight the sytem, or it doesn't affect them directly. Or maybe they just don't care - or won't care - that is - until they come for their dog.

What You Can Do About It:

Tell all of your friends, neighbors, relatives and associates, regardless of whether or not they own a dog about the breed ban or other anti-dog legislation
Tell them they must support their fellow dog owners, friends, and neighbors
Tell them if we don't stand together now, we all fall
Tell them they have the opportunity to unite the community, not divide the community
Tell them to do it for their dog
Tell them My Dog Votes!

Now get off your butts and go do it.

Mobile police now say dogs that attacked ponies were not pit bulls

2010-08-25T19:59:00.002-05:00

Whaddya Know? A "news agency" actually publishes corrected information. Miracles will never cease. Of, course this one was picked up (so far) only by local media and blogs.

Well, here it is:

Mobile police now say dogs that attacked ponies were not pit bulls

Published: Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 4:00 PM

by David Ferrara, Press-Register

MOBILE, Ala. -- A pack of dogs that attacked two miniature ponies owned by the Mobile Police Department were multiple mixed-breeds, not pit bulls, police said this afternoon.

An officer on patrol heard yelping and found the ponies, Woggie and Little Joe, being attacked by at least six dogs at about 1:50 a.m. Tuesday morning just outside the department's barn at 1251 Virginia Street, according to police spokesman Christopher Levy.

The ponies were taken to a Highland Animal Hospital in Daphne, where they later died, according to Sgt. Eddie Carr, who heads the department's Mounted Unit.

Police caught three of the dogs, which were later euthanized, and set traps to catch the others.

The responding officer originally described the dogs as pit bulls, and police initially reported the incident as a pit bull attack. However, a veterinarian who euthanized the dogs later said they were "very aggressive" mixed-breeds, according to Levy.

For much of the past year, aggressive dogs have killed at least eight cats kept around the stables, Carr said. Officers who work in the Mounted Unit have tried to keep the dogs away in the past.

Police believe that someone owns the dogs, and the owners could face criminal charges. Investigators were looking into tips this afternoon, Levy said.

Many in the department's Mounted Unit had become attached to the ponies, which stood no taller than 28 inches, Carr said.

"We considered them officers, because they became our friends," Carr said.

Little Joe, a 2-year-old named for Deputy Chief Joe Kennedy, and Woggie, a 3-year-old, were purchased for a minimal price about two years ago, Carr said. They ate only about 50-pounds of feed a month, and cost little to maintain.

Police had plans to use the ponies to help pull children with disabilities through a Mardi Gras parade next year, Carr added.

"We took good care of them," Carr said. "They were here for the public -- the kids especially. We were proud of these two fellas."

A good link

2010-08-25T19:41:00.003-05:00

Very extensive media "news" about Pit Bulls is by PitOwner whose motto is: Punish the OWNER for allowing the deed, and the dog, if you must, but NOT the breed!

Love it!

PIT BULLS BRED TO RIP YOUR FACE OFF

2010-08-21T14:11:00.003-05:00

I have been watching all postings on the Internet regarding "Pit Bulls." It's easy, if you use iCurrent.

The most often-seen ignorant remark by some yahoo is that 'Pit Bulls have been bred to do one thing and one thing only “rip your face off.”' Normally, I would say that everybody is entitled to an opinion. Unfortunately sometimes opinions are based on insufficient data. To come to a rational and, ideally, a scientific conclusion one would have to do a bit of homework and, at the least, have several sources of information other than media-fed sensationalistic and hysterical pumping out of misinformation created simply to sell more copy.

The Clifton Report (2009), which is frequently cited by Pit Bull haters, was compiled from press reports of dog attack deaths and severe bites in the United States and Canada. Clifton’s only source is the… press: specifically, press accounts of dog bites requiring “extensive hospitalization” and caused by “clearly identified” animals. Elsewhere in this blog I provided that most people, including doctors, EMTs, police officers, or animal control officers cannot tell a Pit Bull from any of several dozen dogs.

Clifton’s report never mentions that there is a huge discrepancy between actual hospital records and press accounts of dog attacks --- between relatively objective data, in other words, and highly subjective reporting and editing with an eye to selling papers.

If Clifton’s pit bull numbers are correct, and no more than 49 of the 6,000 or so hospitalizations due to severe dog bites in the U.S. each year are a result of pit bull bites or attacks, then Pit Bulls and Pit mixes are responsible for less than one percent of those hospitalizations.

0.82%. Eighty-two hundredths of a percent of hospitalizations due to dog bites in the U.S. each year are a result of pit bull bites or attacks, if the press has accurately represented the number of serious attacks by pit bulls and pit mixes.

The Clifton report has value ONLY as proof of media bias,. The media have done a great job convincing the public that only "dangerous breeds" hurt people. Editors in a shrinking market know that it is more lucrative to rail against Pit Bulls than talk about the importance of puppy socialization and parent supervision and how to prevent resource guarding. Clifton’s list illustrates perfectly what the AVMA Task Force on Canine Aggression calls “media-driven portrayals of a specific breed as ‘dangerous.’

A more rational and believable opinion comes for The Center of Disease Control. The latest CDC "Dog Bite: Fact Sheet" includes a disclaimer regarding this study, saying that "it does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites. There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill." "Dog Bite: Fact Sheet". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you want facts on dog aggression, read A Community Approach to Dog Bite Prevention, the AVMA’s groundbreaking 2001 task force report. [You’ll find it in the sidebar, under More Dog Links]. Seminal quote:

"Dog bite statistics are not really statistics, and they do not give an accurate picture of dogs that bite."

For the record, the AVMA task force included representatives from the American Veterinary Medical Association; the American Academy of Pediatrics; the American College of Emergency Physicians; the Professional Liability Insurance Trust; the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists; the American Medical Association; the National Animal Control Association; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and the Humane Society of the United States.

Just because you read it in the papers, saw it on the television news or because you know somebody who has been bitten by a dog that they (or you) THINK is a Pit Bull, doesn’t make the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) a breed to be vilified. Most people, and that includes “experts” such as animal control or police officers would not be able to tell the difference between a Pit Bull, a Ca de Beu, a Dogo Argentino, or a Pressa Canario. The latter being guard dogs, specifically bred for defending their human owners.

One would do the “Pit Bull” breed justice by looking at the hundreds of thousands of APBTs that live peacefully, respectfully, and lovingly in hundreds of thousands of homes across America. (I use quotes because for all intents there is no such a thing as a “pitbull” – do your homework).

You don’t have to be a Pit Bull lover to acknowledge that this decade (previous decades the German Sheppard Dog, the Doberman Pinscher, and the Rottweiler occupied the media’s attention) is not representative of the perception that this dog has had in American history. Indeed, if you know a bit of dog history you know that, for 200 years, the Pit Bull has been and is to this day a non-human aggressive dog. In fact, in the early days of dog fighting, handlers stayed in the pit with their dogs and were required to separate them several times by hand, during the fight. Any pit dog showing human aggression was quickly excluded from breeding lines.

Status-seeking dog owners who choose the Pit Bull for a macho image would, most likely, pick another breed if these dogs still carried the reputation of ‘nanny dog’ that they held a generation ago. Remember Petey of the popular classic children’s show called Our Gang, and later Little Rascals?

The dog that for 200 years has been called the “nanny dog” both in Great Britain and in America http://www.times-standard.com/opinion/ci_6993026 is and always has been a devoted pet who has to be handled with appropriate care. Would I leave my 2-year-old alone with an APBT? No! But I, by the same token, I would NOT leave my small child alone with ANY dog. There are historical reports of almost any breed having the ability of seriously hurting or even killing a child, and elder or a defenseless person. That includes a Pomeranian.

Let’s acknowledge that not all dogs are meant to be owned by just anybody and some pets (not only dogs) require special expertise, devotion, knowledge, care and commitment. Personally, I would be by far more concerned about the ownership of poisonous snakes, chimpanzees, pythons, tigers, alligators, or scorpions. More people die in a single year by drowning in their bath tubs that have been killed by a dog in 100 years. Is the bath tub at fault? Instead of blaming a breed and advocating extermination, I propose that Pit Bull-haters educate themselves about the real issues regarding dog bites and dog attacks. With the advent of the Internet, there is no longer any excuse for remaining ignorant. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_attack

So, to be fair and smart, let’s start respecting the Pit Bull again. Let’s put the media hype into perspective and get to the root of the problem – the overpopulation of this breed, the mistreatment of this breed, and the myths about this breed. Anecdotal stories and media reports are not reliable. They simply fall in the category of either greed (the media), a bad experience, unwarranted fear or some pathological need to spread rumors. See a terrific article on the whys of urban myths: http://people.howstuffworks.com/urban-legend4.htm

I, for one, having done extensive reading and analysis regarding the dog I wanted to have, opted for two APBTs. Both are rescues. My wife, who is a cat person, will tell anybody who cares to listen that my dogs are the best behaved, best-disciplined, most affectionate, and best companions that one could wish for.

Publications on Dog Bites
AVMA Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions. A community approach to dog bite prevention. JAVMA 2001; 218: 1732-1749.
This 2001 report, intended for communities interested in developing a comprehensive bite prevention program, includes model legislation for the control of dangerous dogs.

CDC. Nonfatal Dog Bite--Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments--United States, 2001. MMWR 2003; 52(26): 605-610.
This report summarizes the results of CDC’s analysis of data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP). Findings indicate that in 2001, an estimated 368,245 people were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal dog bite-related injuries, and injury rates were highest among children aged 5-9 years.

Gershman KA, Sacks JJ, Wright JC. Which dogs bite% A case-control study of risk factors. Pediatrics 1994;93:913-7.
Biting and non-biting dogs in Denver are compared. Biting dogs were more likely to be male, unneutered, and chained.

Gilchrist J, Sacks JJ, White D, Kresnow MJ. Dog bites: still a problem% Injury Prevention 2008.
In this study, CDC used a random digit dial survey to determine incidence of dog bites in the U.S. Researchers found that about 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs annually, and about one in five (a total of 885,000) receive medical attention for their injuries.

Quinlan KP, Sacks JJ. Hospitalizations for Dog Bite Injuries. [letter] JAMA 1999; 281:232-233.
Data are provided on the 6,000 hospitalizations for dog bites in 1994, and medical care cost estimates are provided for medically treated dog bites.

Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.
This article lists the breeds involved in fatal attacks over 20 years. It does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites. There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.

JUDGE JUDY LET ME DOWN, TODAY

2010-08-06T18:58:00.000-05:00

Today I watched an episode of "Judge Judy" that changed my opinion of her. I always loved her for the way she handles her court cases, but her pronouncements about Pit Bulls are clichéd and uninformed. As a consequence, I have a significantly lesser opionio of her.

The episode is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hknAbiLliuE

I went to her site and wrote her my opinion about this episode:

"As a rule, I respect Judge Judy Sheindlin and agree with her general stance regarding personal responsibility for one’s own actions. Her no non-sense approach to applying the law is always on point. However, today I watched an episode in which a small dog was attacked by a Pit Bull and she made several statements regarding Pit Bulls that indicate to us that she is simply not knowledgeable about this dog breed. Pit Bulls do NOT have locking jaws; they do not have a bite harder than other large dogs, and are not aggressive, unless trained to be so. Furthermore, citing “news” articles as proof of “dangerousness” of Pit Bulls is akin to citing trashy newspapers as an insight into the true lives or personalities of famous people. Both are self-serving inasmuch as they do not cater to truth as much as they sell copy by being sensationalistic. True scientific data do not support Judge Judith Sheindlin’s opinion. Being the Judge’s contemporary, I am greatly disappointed by her attitude and lack of wisdom in this particular instance. As an owner of two Pit Bulls I am offended by the great disservice she propagates to a much and unfairly maligned dog breeds. Had she done even a cursory bit of research she would have found out that this all American dog at one time was referred to as the Nanny Dog both in Great Britain and United States, primarily because of its tolerant and even tempered demeanor. Today, Judge Judy has taken a step-down in my opinion of her."
If you want to do something similar go here: http://www.judgejudy.com/your_opinions.php

YOU CAN'T HAVE JUST ONE!

2010-03-25T01:38:00.004-05:00

Our family is expanding. It turns out that Pit Bulls are just like those potato chips in the old commercial: You can't have just one. So, the newest member is Tisza, another American Pit Bull Terrier.

People ask me how I named my dogs...

Tisza (pronounced Teesah) is a major river in Hungary (from where I came to United States almost 50 years ago). I was born near it and it's beautiful... just like the new puppy.

Sándor's (Shahndore) name came from Rózsa Sándor (my last name; in Hungarian it means rose). Rózsa Sándor was the Robin Hood of Hungary. In Hungarian the Family Name goes first and the Christian Name is goes second.

I posted on Sándor (the male) before, when he he was a pup, then again as he was growing up. He is a rescue for whom I drove 7 hours to Tennessee to make sure he was not going to get killed with the rest of his littermates. Sándor is 2 1/2 now.

Tisza (the female) is 6 months old. We just got her spayed. She is also a rescue... she and her sister were foundlings, but the family who found them has about 5 dogs already. Luckily, the lady who found them works at a vet's clinic and we have a nice little network here, so we hear about all the bullies that need help. I moderate the Alabama Pit Bull Lovers' Group on Yahoo, which is the support group for Bama Bully Rescue Alabama's Bully Breed and Pit Bull specific rescue. So, all the announcements about bullies go through there. We have over 110 members and most of the people are either volunteers, fosters (like me), or officers of BBR. So, Tisza (she had a different name) came up... I visited her, fell in love with her and offered to foster her, but after 2 weeks I knew she was the one for us. Sándor REALLY needed a companion...he is so dog friendly that he will play with one until they drop. After the last foster I had was placed, I started looking and the rest, as they say, is history.

Right now the poor things are so tired (I always make sure of that - play fetch hard, treadmill for 20-mins, then walk up and down the hill - every day) that could barely drag themselves into their respective crates, so, instead, Tisza just crawled into Sándor's crate and they are fast asleep, spooning each other. A delight to my eyes.

The whole family, including my wife, who is a cat person, absolutely adores both dogs. The little one goes to eat, takes a few bites, comes back to me for some petting, goes back to eat... and does this for a half an hour. Sándor (he is very dignified, says my wife), just walks under my thighs as I sit and watch them eat. He is self-petting. :-D The funny thing is that both think they are lap dogs, but I can have only one in my lap at a time (he is 65-lbs, she is 40-lbs), so whichever is not in my lap complains. I no longer have to take baths... they give me two tongue-baths every day. I got the cleanest ears in Alabama.

It's interesting how God works sometimes... I had always loved dogs, but never had the time.. schools for ever, then my 18-hr/day career didn't leave much time for anything else. As I started winding down, we got into ballroom dancing and one of our new dance friends, who just happens to be a vet, said to me,"You know what you need? A Pit Bull dog." I thought she was crazy, but I stated reading about them and the more I learned the more I knew she was right.

Beside my wife and son, these dogs are the best things in my life!

Here is a pictorial history

Sándor at 4 weeks old

10 weeks

5 months

7 months

1 year

2 years old

2 1/2 YEARS OLD

and now...tadah.... TISZA

TISZA AND SÁNDOR

0.00004716 percent of the Pit Bull population involved in fatal attacks

2009-12-08T01:15:00.000-06:00

I am stealing this from the ever popular Don't Bully My Breed, Inc. website....

"Although there are no accurate or even near accurate census records for dogs in the U.S., in some populations pit bulls are estimated to comprise some 30-40% of the dog population, making it by FAR the most popular breed. Considering that there are an estimated 53,000,000 dogs in the U.S., and assuming that pit bulls make up 20% of that population, there would be approximately 10,600,000 pit bulls in our society. In 1998, five pit bulls were involved in 2 fatal attacks."

That is roughly ONE dog out of 2,120,000 - or .00004716 percent of the pit bull Population.

Morons.... owners take turn

2009-11-05T01:55:00.002-06:00

One of my peeves regarding some dog/cat owners is their penchant for anthropomorphizing.
[Definition: Anthropomorphism is ascribing human characteristics to non-humans, including animals, plants, ideas, phenomena, material states, objects, or abstract concepts].

Oh, I know we all love James Herriot’s wonderful stories of animals, especially dogs and cats. But here I am talking about the serious responsibilities of dog ownership, not entertainment. Indeed, any dog can bite, but our dogs, Pit Bulls, are, at this time, under extreme scrutiny and we have no choice. Assumption of responsible ownership, for us, is not optional. It is a requirement.

Albeit reluctantly, I will label people who take on Pit Bulls as if they were just like any other dog, well…. morons.

What prompts this, my latest, diatribe, is a post on one of the most respected Pit Bull Forums on the Internet.

I will quote from the person’s post and comment on each statement individually. I will also use “he” as the generic for either a dog or a bitch.

Here we go….

“he seems to want to be in charge”

Seems, want, in charge… these are not within the “vocabulary” of dogs. These are not part of their behavioral repertoire. These are human behaviors, endeavors and feelings. A dog has no idea what something “seems.” Dog sense the world in a binary code. It is either “yes” or “no.” “Good” or “bad,” “warm” or “cold,” etc. Dogs don’t want. Wanting is a human emotion. Dogs NEED or don’t need.

Dogs are not in charge or not not in charge. Dogs are either an alpha or not. In a human environment, anybody who allows a dog to be the alpha is asking for trouble. What that person will have is an insecure, unprotected, anxious, and unpredictable animal. If you love your dog, I mean really love him, you owe it to him to be the alpha. An absolute alpha, all the time, without hesitation, with total commitment, with all your energy, with all your intelligence, with all your skills and without hesitation. I guess I used "without hesitation" twice... I must mean it.

“when he's tired will he let [sic!] the other dog play with something”

Dogs don’t let. We, the humans let. Dogs take or not take. But dogs are not allowed to “make decisions.” They can’t. They have no concept of past, present, and future. They live in the present. They have no foreboding “feelings” or judgment of consequences. If you are a good trainer you can condition a dog to do what YOU want or decide. Dogs who are allowed to make choices will be totally befuddled because they will have no reference points. A dog without leadership will be like a boat without a rudder… aimless, purposeless, anxious, afraid, “neurotic” (by our standards).

“she is not the push over she was at first”

Here is another example of endowing a dog with human characteristics. So, the dog was a pushover, now she is not. What happened? Did the dog take some assertiveness classes? Maybe she took an EST seminar…

[Definition: EST = Erhard Seminars Training, an organization founded by Werner H. Erhard, offered a two-weekend (60-hour) course known officially as 'The est Standard Training.' The purpose of est was to allow participants to achieve, in a very brief time, a sense of personal transformation and enhanced power. The est course was offered from late 1971 to late 1984. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erhard_Seminars_Training]

Puleeze… what the dogs did, is work it out. They worked out who is where in the pecking order. Since the owner is clearly not “in charge” we don’t know whether the once-pushover dog has become an alpha or just acting out her insecurity. Which one would you prefer? That was a sneaky catch question, because the answer, of course, is neither.

“she has started to snap at him when she's on the couch”

Excuse me? Started? From the content of the post we can surmise that snapping is an ongoing behavior. Snapping is either allowed or not allowed by the alpha, which should be the owner. It it’s allowed, then don’t bitch (with due respect to all the fine female dogs out there). If it’s not allowed, then it didn’t start, because it was finished as soon as it was exhibited. Besides, a secure, calm, and assertive dog (to use Cesar Millan’s terminology) does NOT snap. Do you know why? Because 1) she doesn’t have to; and 2) is not allowed.

“she used to not do this and has just recently started acting jealous”

Let’s forget for a second that dogs do not have emotions, certainly not complex ones. So, appealing to the common psychologist in all of us, what type of person is jealous? What type of person is possessive or controlling? Simple: a person who is insecure, a person who wants to control because he has none. The parallel “translation” to a dog’s world is obvious.

“we would just put him in his crate if he got too aggressive”
“we have started putting her in her crate when she does it now” (My note: “it” being something bad – like snapping at the other dog)

I see. So now we take the crate, which is supposed to be the dog’s “home,” his secure place, and we made it a punishing place. Way to go! That dog sure will love going “home.” Not!

“leads to a scene since she will just lay (sic!) down and roll over and refuse to get up”

How’s that? Scene? Refuse? Since when do dogs make decisions? You mean that obedience is voluntary? Isn’t that an oxymoron?

“it sounds like I have a lot of problems with them and I guess I do but its not constantly”
“we really do enjoy each other most of the time”

In operant conditioning, a variable ratio reinforcement schedule is one of the hardest to extinguish… Obviously, the owner tells us not only that “[we] enjoy each other most of the time,” but that some of the time they don’t. As the variable ratio of positive and negative reinforcement goes on, eventually, and I guarantee this, at some point they will NOT enjoy each other MOST of the time. Just like a child, if a dog “gets away” with an undesirable behavior some of the time, he will try for ever, because at any one given time he MAY get away with it. Casino owners know this, hence those 5,000-room hotel/casinos.

To sum it all up, the dog owner who posted the stuff I quoted is a… you guessed it…a moron.
That the person has a dog is already bad enough, but to have TWO and especially Pit Bulls, is awful. Awful for the dogs, for this oblivious person, and for the breed overall. This is the kind of situation that is likely to end up in the headlines and provide further fodder to the gristmill of sensation seeking media morons. I apologize for the mixed metaphor.

I like what Linda R. Blakely, the Director of Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary & Rescue has to say:

"The most valuable lesson for me personally is that we should never forget to keep our minds open to what an animal can teach us, not only about their own behavior, but about our own!"

Next up, when I get the time, is the “nothing in life is free” concept of dog handling/training.

Beauty and The Best (sic!)

2009-10-26T18:13:00.003-05:00

A friend just sent me this picture - I thought I would share it with you all.

ART HELPING ANIMALS

2009-10-16T14:40:00.008-05:00

My latest discovery is an organization named “Art Helping Animals .” Their motto is “Helping animals in need- one brush stroke at a time.” Brilliant artists create art for helping animals by donating a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of their artwork to various non-profit animal rescue organizations.

They state:

We are a strong fellowship of professional artists who have come together from different areas of the world with one purpose in mind, to help homeless animals through the efforts of our individual creativity. We are a working entity. We have taken on the challenge of painting and creating for a variety of non-profit rescues. We create art in support of homeless animals in their care A percentage of our sales, as determined by the individual artist, is donated to 501(c)3 rescue toward the care of animals in need.

TOTAL RAISED as of June 2009 updated semi-annually: $64,424.40!

I cannot think of a more worthwhile cause to support.

The painting you see above is, of course, of Sándor – my Pitbull. Don’t you love those luminous lemon eyes? To the rihgt I am posting the original photograph that was used by the artist, SM Violano, as her inspiration.

As you may imagine I am delighted to have my faithful, loving, and beautiful companion immortalized.

The painting was created on behalf of Bama Bully Rescue, the Alabama Pitbull organization that I support anyway I can.l

If you like stuff like this, do yourself a favor and visit Art Helping Animals (click on the name) and also Ms. Violano’s Studio site.

Poor Michael Vick is nothing but a scapegoat

2009-10-05T18:06:00.001-05:00

Junious Ricardo Stanton in his blog “From The Ramparts” posts “Michael Vick and Other Scapegoats” positing the thesis that “the punishment” Michael Vick received and the subsequent media coverage is a racial issue and Vick is nothing but an object of hatred by whites. He states that there “aren’t that many hardcore dog lovers” so the media coverage is unwarranted. Well, Stanton, there are approximately 5 million Pitbulls and pit bull mixes, so there are MILLIONS of us.

Interesting spin. I don’t have to wonder who is racist, now do I? Ditto for who qualifies for idiot.

Jay Leno. AGAIN

2009-10-05T17:59:00.002-05:00

Last Wednesday (Oct. 1, 2009), The Jay Leno Show, for the second time in a month, managed to “make fun” of Pitbulls. A much maligned and completely misrepresented breed of dog that is being killed at a rate of 1,200,000 per year, is, according to The Jay Leno Show is a fair target for so-called humor. There a millions of owners who have been deeply offended. I understand that Jay Leno had no control over what the stand-up “comedian” said a few weeks ago, but he definitely did bring up the topic with Chris Rock, who proceeded to show his utter ignorance.

I would think that abusing and killing animals are not good subjects for humor in anybody’s book. I think that NBC and Mister Leno will find that this “episode” will be VERY costly to them. The episode in question can be viewed here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/99740/the-jay-leno-show-thu-oct-1-2009

Chris Rock, blithely asks “What did Vick do?” “A dog? A Pitbull is not even a dog.” Nice going, Chris Rock. Thanks for making it easy for me to cross you off the list of comedians to watch.

What did Vick do? Really?

The Jay Leno Show is not so funny

2009-09-17T21:50:00.004-05:00

Switching channels between shows, while working on a Website, I happened to surf through The Jay Leno Show. I am not sure what I expected, since I quit watching the Tonight Show long time ago. I thought that maybe freed from the TS format, he may bring something fresh to television, or, God forbid, even something insightful. It just shows you how delusional I can be sometimes. The stand-up "comedian" Tom Somebody-Or-Other (I instantly blocked his name) was trying to be funny with verbal jabs about his friend who wanted a Pit Bull for a family pet. He thought it was funny to say that his friend is an idiot because the Pit Bull is going to eat his children and, then, compared having a Pit Bull as a pet to having a python snake, since, according to him, all they both want is kill you.

Nice public service, Mr. Leno. Also, thanks, Mr. Leno, your "guest" just made my choice to NOT ever watch your show a cinch.

It's one thing to appear to be a moron. It's a totally different deal to open your mouth and prove it.

If anybody has ever found a more gratifying family pet than an American Pit Bull Terrier I am yet to hear about it.

"I think Pit Bulls get a bad rap.
They are affectionate, smart, loyal, keep you safe.
Treat them right. Don't lie to them."

- Agent Gibbs in "NCIS," Season 6, Episode 18, March 17, 2009.

FAIR USE NOTICE - I will post this periodically:

2009-09-05T11:37:00.001-05:00

Other than my personal opinions, this blog may also contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owners. I believe that this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

'Not... If, But When' Vick Will Be Signed

2009-08-11T20:10:00.007-05:00

Today we read in the The Washington Post that, Joel Segal, Michael Vick's agent, said during a radio interview Tuesday there's no longer any doubt that the recently reinstated quarterback will be signed by an NFL team. "I'm very optimistic," Segal said on Washington's ESPN 980 during a visit to the Redskins' training camp. "It's not a matter of if, but when. And Mike's excited with the opportunity that the commissioner has given him. He's ready to go help a club win."

I love football, but football is nothing but entertainment, when it's played at the professional level. Those who will pay their hard-earned dollars to be entertained by a person whom I consider owning a deep character flaw are, in my book, lacking good judgment.

What's-her-name's (the actress/comedienne) statement that dog fighting was "indicative to certain parts of the country,'' was explained away by the liberal media as being quoted out of context and that it was not an excuse for the behavior of a self-indicted criminal. Puleeeze... that's backpedaling of the most transparent kind.

When it's all said and done what remains in my mind are the pictures of these dogs, not Vick throwing for a touch-down.

I will consider a further lowering of this Nation's morals standards, if the men and women who watch football don't vote with their pockets not to iconize a cruel, greedy, and unethical so-called sports figure. Muscles and skills in football we can grow everyday.... moral backbone, not-so easily. I hope that whatever team hires this moron loses a lot of money.

FOOD-PROOF YOUR DOG

2009-08-07T00:22:00.004-05:00

This is for people who are not expert trainers.

An important training target is food-proofing your dog. The target is to have your dog take food ONLY from you or from one of your family members.

The implications for NOT doing this are obvious, including the object lesson of a dog that was taken recently by being offered a hot dog by strangers. Depending where you live, I am sure there will be also situations when poisoned food will be offered for a variety of malicious reasons. I will leave it up to you to conjure up images of such potential situations, including a neighbor who happens to hate your dog or brats who do it out of spite or entertainment.

The premise is that if you teach your dog not to take a variety of foods from anybody but you, the dog will be able to generalize to all foods and to all people. This can become an issue if you leave town and have to leave the dog behind with a friend or in a kennel. But, that is relatively minor issue and can also be trained. My dog is either with one of us or a friend veterinarian who attends to him anyway. Nobody else.

Start by squatting or sitting with your dog, holding his/her leash with your dominant hand (with your thumb through the loop), the other hand grabbing the leash about a foot or a foot and a half away from your dominant hand. The non-dominant hand thus becomes the “leash snapper.” For training I use either a six or five-foot leather leash. Regular collar.

Have a friend or somebody who visits your house frequently throw some desirable food in front of your dog (hot dogs, treats, raw meat, cheese, etc.). The dog natural tendency will be to sniff the food and want to eat it.

As soon as the dog orients toward or sniffs at the food you snap the leash with your non-dominant hand (doesn’t have to be a hard snap, more like setting the hook in a fish’s mouth when fishing with a flexible rod) while saying “NO!” in a low and commanding voice. The snap and the “NO” occur simultaneously. As soon as the dog looks at you, you say “Good dog” or whatever you say in praise to your dog, this time with a higher and kinder voice. You can also frown with the “No” and smile with the “Good dog.” I do.

You will have to do this exercise with a variety of foods over several days. Use different people and also have them throw food over your dog yard’s fence with or without you in the yard. My dog is never alone, but I did the exercise by standing on the deck that is over the dog run. Use food that is normally attractive to your dog.

As usually, what’s critical is consistency and repetition.

I also used method to break fixation on dogs, cats, or anything that grabs Sándor’s attention away from me.

Remember: your dog needs to be trained not to do anything for which: 1) you did not train him; 2) you do not allow; 3) has not earned the privilege. For instance Sándor has to sit in the dining room and wait for me to serve his yogurt in the kitchen. Since cutting up carrots and apples and mixing up several types of kibble takes time, he has to lie down. He can start eating only when I say “OK, you can eat now.” Thus, he earns the right to eat by being patient and by lying down.

Andrew’s Primer for Having an American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT)

2009-06-23T23:28:00.010-05:00

The following are my personal observations about taking on an APBT puppy।

There will be nothing new for people who are knowledgeable about Pit Bulls. In fact, I am sure that most of this has been said elsewhere better and by more experienced people. I am using what I culled from such authorities, from consensus of those of us who own or have owned bullies and from my personal experience of working with a dog EVERY DAY for the last two years. So, what you see below is meant for those who are contemplating of adopting and/or raising an American Pit Bull Terrier puppy.

1. APBTs are not for everyone. Definitely not for a first-time dog owner.

2. APBTs are NOT guard dogs. Anybody who tells you otherwise is not knowledgeable. If you want a guard dog get one of the following: Fila Brasieliero, Dogo Argentino, Doberman (female), Dogue de Bordeaux, South-African Boerboel, Akita Inu, Rottweiler, Bouvier des Flandres, Cane Corso, Ca de Bou, Belgian Shepherd, Presa Canario, Bullmastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Thai Ridgeback, Giant Schnauzer, and Tosa Inu. But if you don’t know or don’t want to learn how to handle these dogs you are looking for a heap of trouble. So, better understand what you are getting into.

3. Minimum requirements:

a. Time – you should be prepared to spend at least 1 hour a day with your dog. Two hours is even better. Time will be spent:

i. training
ii. exercising
iii. grooming
iv. playing
v. feeding
vi. walking
vii. showing affection

This is for EVERY DAY for the life of the dog. After you exercise your dog hard, you have to cool in down by going for a slow walk and then apply a nice massage so the muscles won’t cramp. Your dog should not be exercised right after he gets fed. Need to wait at least 45 minutes. If you exercise him hard, he won’t want to eat right after, either. Err on the safe side – no food just before or just after exercise.

b. Money – you need to be prepared to spend quite a bit of money on training, food, vet bills, collars, leashes, brushes, nail-clippers, exercise equipment, and toys.

You will have to have at least 3 leashes, preferably four:
i. one for training
ii. one for walking
iii. one for street walking
iv. one for long-distance work – I use a rock-climbing 50-ft nylon rope
v. retractable leashes are NOT for APBTs – ask me why, if you don’t understand

Exercise equipment, per sé, is not necessary, but by exercising your dog you will be rewarded with a healthy dog that is also in good mental health and with equipment it will take you less effort than if you do it by running with the dog. If you are a fitness nut, by all means, jogging 5 miles twice a day EVERY day (come rain, snow, or sunshine) will do the trick. I, OTOH, play racquetball, do Yoga, T’ai Chi, ballroom dance, and walk fast for fitness. Other than walking, the dog can’t participate in my other activities. So I have a doggie (non-electric) treadmill, a mini-obstacle course in the backyard, a springpole, and light weight pulling equipment. And, of course, a lot of throw toys.

You won’t be able to buy just any dog toy. APBTs will EAT them. That includes the baddest and hardest Kong toy (the black one).

c. Knowledge – you will have to read as much as possible about the breed; you will have to become knowledgeable about puppies, generally; you will need to know everything about APBT puppies, specifically;

d. You must have a fenced in yard; the fence will have to be substantial, not shorter than 6-ft, preferably 8 ft. The fence will have to be buried at least 12 inches into the ground; privacy fences are ridiculous – don’t even think about containing an APBT with one. You cannot leave the dog by himself (mine is a male) because he CAN jump any fence, will even use a tree next to a fence to climb it and jump off to the other side, will dig under, or even figure out how to unlock the gate(s). Depending where you live, leaving the dog alone, you also risk having it stolen. APBTs don’t handle heat well. I don’t know about cold, because it doesn’t get that cold around here (Alabama). But they will overheat in no time at all and have to be able to come inside if they want to. When you play in the yard have plenty of water available ad lib.

4. Food. This is a huge deal with me. You have to do your homework and understand what a dog’s nutritional requirements are. Dr. Richard Pitcairn is an authority on dog and cat nutrition and his “Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats” is a must read.

Some people go all the way out there to B.A.R.F. (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet. You can research this, but be aware that it requires a significant amount of daily work. I work fulltime so I am not a good candidate time-wise. There are pro and con arguments either way, so read about it or make up your own mind. If you decide to go with prepared food, again do your homework by reading dog food ratings, and do join discussion groups where APBT owners describe their own experiences with different foods. Don’t even think of buying cheap supermarket food. If you do, expect some hefty vet bills as your dog’s health WILL be compromised. Also expect a significantly shortened life-span.

You will also have to consider your dog’s preferences. Some premium foods will get “rejected” and you will waste your money if you try to “convince” your dog that he “should” like it.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Here is a critique of food scoring/grading systems:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=grading_kibble

There is a lot of information on dog food on the Internet. It is wise not to fall for ANY of the hyped ideas. This is not an exact science (just like human nutrition is not, either) so a bit of common sense goes a long way. One caution: use “wet” food sparingly, lest your dog become a finicky eater. Under no circumstances should you feed your dog “people” food. They have different nutritional requirements AND they will develop some behavioral issues that will haunt you, especially if you feed them from the table. This also goes into training issues so I will leave it to the experts to explain why indulging your dog with “treats” from the table is a REALLY bad idea.

Now that my dog is an adult, he gets fed once a day. Food is not available to him at any other times, although some edible chews and toys are offered as special treats for a job well done or to ease ennui.

You MUST become familiar with foods that put a dog danger. A decent list is here:
http://www.peteducation.com/article_print.cfm?c=2+1661&aid=1030

and here:

http://www.petalia.com.au/Templates/StoryTemplate_Process.cfm?specie=Dogs&story_no=257#ct-5

5. Socialization. BIG issue unless you are content with keeping you dog in your house at all times and never have anyone visit. And also you never intend you have any other pet in the house. While you are learning how to work with your dog you will have to get him used to people and animals. APBTs are naturally drawn to humans, but will be leery of people if you don’t expose him to all sorts of people, as many as you can manage, in as many environments as you can take them to. I take Sándor everywhere with me and have for the last 2 years. We even got an exception in our lease contract at the clinic. We can bring our dogs to the clinic because they are classified “therapy dogs.” With proper exposure and training your dog can become a people friendly and animal friendly dog. BUT you can never trust an APBT not to fight. My bully plays beautifully with a nice, large, secure dog. It’s a pleasure to watch them play. I have taken him to a dog park several times and decided it’s not for us. Some owners have zilch common sense and their dogs show it. There is no way of anticipating how your bully will react to an ill-behaved or aggressive dog. I used systematic desensitization to get Sándor used to dogs and cats. There is not much I can do about his prey instinct – he will give chase to any furry fast moving creature. I suppose I could work with him on that, too, but I rather put our time and energy in a different direction. Besides, he hasn’t caught a single squirrel, yet.

6. Training. Here I will become very opinionated. Early in my career, I was trained as an animal behaviorist, yet it took me a while to grasp the subtlety of dog training issues. Dog training can be a science. I differ in my technique from most trainers and disagree with many of the techniques used by Cesar Millan. Specifically to Millan’s work, most of us don’t have the talent to “read” a dog as accurately as he does. Also, we don’t have his resources. We don’t know about his failures or what really goes on at his “rehab center.” What we see is Hollywood and most of us will not have editors to cut out our failures. I really don’t think it’s a good idea for a 110-lb woman to try to flip and hold down a 75-lb APBT. Most of his techniques work for him; not so sure about most of us. I use the dog’s innate predisposition to want to please his human companion. The rest of it is pure manipulation of his behavior to accommodate my goals. Sándor works simply for “Good Sándor.” That’s all. No treats, no whistles, no clackers, no shock collars (ugh!!). “No” for undesired behaviors, “Good Sándor” for what I want from him. “No” was originally conditioned with a snap of the training leash. Now, since “No” is a conditioned stimulus, I don’t need the leash, unless I am pushing a complex learning hierarchy. Sequencing from sharp and soft voice commands and leash snaps to hand signals and then to normal talking voice was a natural evolution. For me it was and is a thrilling experience to see a dog pleased with himself because he did well. I must add that learned behaviors have to be constantly reinforced and extended. In my opinion, a dog can have as an extensive a “vocabulary” as you wish. I keep my “needs” to what I consider a GOOD dog. That, to me, means good control of the dog, but not breaking his spirit or his personality. APBTs are naturally funny and I wouldn’t want any of that to be “trained out.” Since I use “talking hypnosis” with my patients, similarly I will use short English sentences with the dog, with the command words emphasized. Seems to work for us. We have a powerful, energetic, calm, and obedient dog who makes us laugh, smile with joy, and pleased with his companionship. Mind you, he has to “earn” everything. He has to sit while I get and prepare his food. He has to wait patiently for me to invite him on the bed or the couch. He has to lie down after he has eaten and while I am making food for myself. A have a manual for the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) exam. Sándor could pass with flying colors today and then some.

If you don’t intend to train to work with a dog definitely don’t get an APBT. This is as simple as I can make it. If you don’t do what’s right you will regret it and so will your dog. Worse yet, nobody is going to like your dog. That is about the saddest thing I can think of for a dog owner.

7. Spaying or neutering. If you don’t “fix” you dog, in my book, you are dirt. I have a pure-bred APBT. He is utterly beautiful and has wonderful temper. He was neutered as soon as he was age-appropriate.

Five million dogs and cats are killed yearly in U.S. shelters. That is 13,800 every day or 575 dogs and cats killed every hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically be the source of 67,000 dogs.
http://mckatie.wordpress.com/2007/03/19/animals-killed-in-shelters-across-the-states/

So adopt. The resources for dogs and cats in this country are already overwhelmed. For every dog that’s born at least one has to die. When you buy a dog from a breeder, and I don’t care how reputable that breeder is, you are condemning another dog to death.

If you want to read my rants on the Pit Bull’s plight in this World, read the rest of my blog. I have a lot of material here and a lot of opinion that’s based on facts. My personal battle is with the media that has condemned millions of Pit Bulls to death by sensation-seeking for a couple of buck’s worth of advertising. My other personal battle is with politicians and ignorant people who push legislation to ban a true American icon. PETA would want to kill every single “pit bull” in existence. Of course, they have NO IDEA what a “pit bull” is. No surprise here, since there is no such a thing as a “pit bull’ or “pitbull.

Read the rest of my blog to understand why. In case you lose track, this blog is here: http://andrew-rozsa.blogspot.com/

There is nothing I can do about assorted criminals and animal abusers who are choosing to create hell on this Earth for themselves and for their dogs. I do believe that what goes around comes around. They should be pitied because they are getting and will be getting their just rewards in perpetuity.

If, after you learned everything you can about APBTs, you still want one, you will be rewarded with the most amazing dog companion ever. APBTs are affectionate to a fault, intelligent, natural clowns, and highly trainable. They are very handsome dogs, they shed very little and require minimum grooming, they don't smell, they are clean, and they love to be your companion. Sándor is never more than 3 feet from one of the humans in the house. My wife and son invite friends over just to show off Sándor. We have yet to find a single person who doesn’t think that he is the most wonderful dog they have ever met. Ditto for our neighbors. They start grinning as soon as they hear me say “Go make friends, Sándor.”

TROUBLEMAKERS!

2009-02-04T22:52:00.003-06:00

If you are interested in understanding how some of the “world turns” around you do yourself a favor and read the following article. Just click on the title.

from The New Yorker
February 6, 2006

TROUBLEMAKERS
What pit bulls can teach us about profiling.

by Malcolm Gladwell

My comments:

I don’t know how I missed this article when I was doing research on the murderous media bias toward “pit bulls.” I use the word murderous on purpose, because I mean it. Media bias, the greedy drive for sensationalism, is directly and indirectly responsible for the death of MILLIONS of animals. But I digress…

This thoughtful article by Malcom Gladwell, published in The New Yorker in 2006, is a terrific analysis of both the harm that stereotyping or profiling can cause and the reason for it. The reason doesn’t surprise me, but I have not seen it explained this explicitly, and for certain not this well connected to the topic of this blog’s rant. Ultimately, generalizations, profiling, and stereotyping are, just like the ban of “pit bulls,” are nothing but prime examples of pure, simple, and expedient laziness.

The subtitle of the article,“What pit bulls can teach us about profiling” ties in perfectly with the author’s implied conclusion: it’s easier to find a patsy and then “dispose” of it then actually to do the work to find the truth. Those media types and those politicians who point fingers at “pit bulls” as the culprits of murderous rampages use the same trick prestidigitators use: misdirection. Unfortunately, they are just as good at fooling the public as magicians are. The main difference is that I am NOT amused. Neither should you be.

Sports Illustrated article: Too little, too late!

2009-01-02T22:47:00.011-06:00

A very positive article about the plight of the “Vicks Pit Bulls” in the December 29, 2008,| Volume 109, Issue 26 of Sports Illustrated. Here is the cover and here is the article.

I suppose, this should be construed as repentance! A kind of apology, I guess. To my mind, it is a lot too late and too little.

Personally, I will not accept an "apology" from Sports Illustrated. I don't care how many pro-APBT articles they publish or how many naked women they show. I dropped my subscription right after the infamous July 27, 1987 "Pit Bull" cover and never read a single issue since.

They are crass. Don't let them fool you. Even if it seems to serve our and our friends' interests, know them for what they are: repulsive, money-mongering, soulless and mindless media reps.

What am I talking about? For those of you who are too young to remember, the editors at Sports Illustrated lost their minds and created a new Media Monster with that cover. Go to the SI archives to see the cover and judge for yourself.

Look at that cover and understand that given its circulation and ability to influence men, SI has single-handedly STARTED the Pit Bull insanity.

I am not making this up, I promise. I took it from Karen Delise's book "The Pit Bull Placebo" and I agree with her.

Soon after that, news stories began slipping “pitbull” into headlines as shorthand for dangerous dog, even if it was a different breed involved in that particular crime. "Pit bull" entered our everyday lives as an adjective. People would say "I hope you've gotten yourself a pit bull attorney." Yet, when two Florida lawyers used a pit bull in an ad a few years ago, they were reprimanded by the Florida Bar for dragging the profession down to the level of these animals. Then, of course, we all know about the reference to Mrs. Palin as a Pit Bull with lipstick.”

At that time in 1987 it was the Doberman that was the media “darling” for horror stories and most people had no idea what a Pit Bull was, much less the thugs and criminals like Vick. Many will point to that Sports Illustrated July 27,1987 issue's arrival as the pivotal moment when the bad guys of the world decided they had to get their hands on these bad ass, scary looking dogs that everyone seemed to fear. The Pit Bull became the status symbol for a life-style that you and I can't even attempt to understand. We are not just talking gangs, drug-dealers, ghetto creeps - we are talking cruelty not elevated to this level since Hitler's Germany. I should have stayed from the comparison (see Godwin’s Law in your Wikipedia), but it’s the only one that fits the situation. Both are responsible for millions of deaths. [Here I was quoting almost verbatim BadRap.Org's Blog - credit goes where credit is due].

Yes, I loved the new SI article, but I also KNOW that the only reason it was written and published is because it's fashionable to hate Vick and the newly found care for Pit Bulls sells copy. On the coat-tails of myriad of programs on dogs (including the very real and effective "Dog Town"), SI just goes with the money flow.

J'accuse Sports Illustrated of indirectly causing the murder of TENS OF MILLIONS of Pit Bulls.

I fervently hope that their specific Hell is millions of Pygocentrus nattereri (the most ferocious piranhas known) biting and hanging on their collective executive asses in perpetuity. I know this is not very Christian of me, but this is how I feel and I will never change my mind about this particular topic.

At the same time I pray that THIS article and cover will propagate as much of a wave as the first ones did, 'cept in the opposite direction. We can only hope that this is a new beginning.

"City" of Greensboro, Alabama protects itself against vicious dog harborer

2008-12-05T06:47:00.009-06:00

This kind lady, who retired from working for the State, recently got into a pickle because she had the audacity to take care of a couple of stray dogs that wandered unto her property. Apparently, her wanton act of kindness (sic!) flaunts a local ordinance that prohibits ownership of a Pit Bull, because, you see, Pit Bulls are vicious. This is happening in Greensboro, Alabama. Alabama, not North Carolina, and not the home of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a metropolitan area with a population of 1.2 million. You see, Greensboro, Alabama is speck of dust in the middle of nowhere (OK, so it’s not nowhere, it’s in Hale County – but Hale County IS nowhere), has a population of fewer than 3,000 people and it’s famous for… NOTHING. That’s not entirely fair, since Eugene Sawyer, ex-Mayor of Chicago (recently deceased) was born in Greensboro. But I digress…

She tells us that “Two runaway dogs came to my place several weeks ago. One was a pitbull ( I guess - I identified him from pictures on the web) and the other was a little Jack Russell mix (?) the two had an interesting relationship. The little guy would bite at the pit's heels and play fight. He also served as groomer to the pit. He would pry open the pits lips and one by one clean the pit's teeth. Hardly a dog-dog aggressive relationship. The pit was being treated like royalty and that's the way he acted.”

So, she gets this Christmas gift from the “City” of Greensboro:

"VIOLATION OF THE VICIOUS DOGS AND THEIR CONTROL OF ATTACKS ON HUMAN BEING ORDINANCE # 152 SECTIONS 1&2..

This is to notify you that you are in violation of the City of Greensboro Vicious Dogs and their control of attacks n Human Being and you have 10 days to come in compliance. Being said that on your property or controlled by you, the following violations are occurring:

Section 1. Vicious Dogs (2) A vicious dog is "unconfined" as the term is used in this section if such dog is not securely confined .. . . Section 2. Violations and Penalties. Whoever violates tat provisions of Subsection A or B of section 1 shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars $500) or imprisoned not more than sixty (60) days, or both. In addition, any vicious dog which attacks a human being or another domestic animal may be ordered destroyed when in the Court's judgment, such vicious dog represents a continuing threat of serious harm to human being or domestic animals.

Mrs. X, further tells us: “When I told the city clerk that the dog on my property was not a vicious dog, she said the dog reported is a pitbull and a pitbull is a vicious dog."

She said that, "since the dog was on my property I had to confine the dog. I explained that the dog was a runaway and I did not have the means to confine the dog. And in any case I could not do it within 10 days because the dog resisted being restrained with a leash, or tie-out.

In fact trying those methods was a very dramatic show. Since this time I have learned that this is pitbull for "I want my way - and I’ll hold my breath and sling myself around until I get it."

Anyhow I believed that the dog was beyond my control, and there was no way that I could conform to the conditions imposed by the Notice with which I was served.”

Let’s analyze the events and see what’s wrong with the “City” of Greensboro, that is, exclusively from the way it treated a Good Samaritan. For all we know, Greensboro could be the loveliest town in the United States… although, I somehow doubt it.

Greensboro has an ordinance that flies dead in the face of the fact that BSL is against the law, as found by US Courts:

The United States Supreme Court - Nicchia v. People of the State of New York 254 U.S. 228 (1920) : gave police the power to regulate and control dangerous dogs with drastic measures, as long as it does not infringe on the dog owner’s right to liberty with due process.
The Alabama Supreme Court - WAF/Sheila Tack v. Huntsville Alabama (2002): upheld a decision that pit bulls were no more inherently dangerous than any other breed. This case was very costly to the city of Huntsville.
The Toledo Municipal Court - Tellings v. City of Toledo CRB-02-15267 (ACF 2005): ruled American Pit Bull Terriers are not dangerous and granted dog owner’s due process rights.
The Ohio Supreme Court - State v. Cowan (103 Ohio St. 3d 144, 2004-Ohio-4777)(2004) struck down ORC955:11 which declared the "Pit Bull" vicious, because it violates our rights to be heard (due process).
Westbury, NY (Spring 2003) court ruled that the city’s BSL was unconstitutional and repealed the law.

Did you get the part about THE ALABAMA SUPREME COURT?

OK, so what they are doing to this lady is AGAINST THE LAW of the State of Alabama.

Secondly, there is no such a thing as a pitbull. Whatever the hell the Ordinance means to say, it only shows the writers’ and legal counsel’s ignorance. The term “Pit Bull” is typically associated with these three breeds: American Staffordshire Terrier; American Pit Bull Terrier; and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. I repeat, there is no such a thing as a pitbull.

The only way to identify a dog’s breed is by its appearance. There is no genetic test to determine a specific dog breed. There are 25+ breeds of dogs that have similar appearances and are commonly mistaken for Pit Bulls. It is almost impossible for the average person (or the City of Greensboro) to accurately identify a Pit Bull.

But we already know that telling a, say, American Pit Bull Terrier from 24 other dogs is nearly impossible by anyone, other than an expert.

Anyone doesn’t believe me? Go ahead, try it:
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Findthebull/findpitbull_v3.html

How many tries did it take you before you found the “Pit Bull?” Come on, don’t lie… 9…12? OK, here is another chance:
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

Thirdly, according to the American Temperament Test Society, the American Pit Bull Terrier is calmer, less likely to be aggressive, less likely to respond to provocation and friendlier than ANY of the following breeds of dogs:

AFGHAN HOUND .
AIREDALE TERRIER .
AKITA .
AMERICAN BULLDOG .
AMERICAN ESKIMO .
AMERICAN WATER SPANIEL .
ANATOLIAN SHEPHERD DOG .
AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG .
AUSTRALIAN KELPIE .
AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD .
AUSTRALIAN TERRIER .
BASENJI .
BEAGLE .
BEARDED COLLIE .
BEAUCERON .
BELGIAN SHEEPDOG .
BELGIAN TERVUREN .
BICHON FRISE .
BORDER COLLIE .
BULLDOG .
BULLMASTIFF .
CAIRN TERRIER .
CANAAN DOG .
CANE CORSO .
CAO DE FILA DE SAO MIGUEL .
CARDIGAN WELSH CORGI .
CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL .
CHIHUAHUA .
CHINESE CRESTED DOG .
CHINESE SHAR-PEI .
CHINOOK .
CHOW CHOW .
CLUMBER SPANIEL .
COCKER SPANIEL .
COLLIE .
DACHSHUND (MINIATURE SMOOTH) .
DACHSHUND (MINIATURE WIREHAIRED) .
DACHSHUND (STANDARD LONGHAIRED) .
DACHSHUND (STANDARD SMOOTH) .
DACHSHUND (STANDARD WIREHAIRED) .
DALMATIAN .
DANDIE DINMONT TERRIER .
DOBERMAN PINSCHER , .
ENGLISH SETTER .
FIELD SPANIEL .
FILA BRASILEIRO .
FINNISH LAPPHUND .
FINNISH SPITZ .
GERMAN PINSCHER .
GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG , , .
GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER .
GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTER .
GIANT SCHNAUZER .
GOLDEN RETRIEVER .
GORDON SETTER .
GREAT DANE .
GREAT PYRENEES .
GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOG .
GREYHOUND .
ITALIAN GREYHOUND .
JACK RUSSELL TERRIER .
KERRY BLUE TERRIER .
KUVASZ .
LHASA APSO .
MINIATURE PINSCHER .
MINIATURE POODLE .
MINIATURE SCHNAUZER .
NORWEGIAN ELKHOUND .
NORWICH TERRIER .
NOVA SCOTIA DUCK TOLLING RETRIEVER .
POLSKI OWCZAREK NIZINNY .
POMERANIAN .
PORTUGUESE WATER DOG .
RAT TERRIER .
SALUKI .
SAMOYED .
SCOTTISH TERRIER .
SHIBA INU .
SHIH TZU .
TOY FOX TERRIER .
WELSH TERRIER .
TREEING WALKER COONHOUND .
VIZSLA .
WEIMARANER .
WIRE FOX TERRIER .
YORKSHIRE TERRIER

http://www.atts.org/statistics.html

So, the City of Greensboro’s actions are: 1) against the law 2) ignorant; 3) ignorant; 4) unkind to a nice lady who is just taking care of some strays. Notice I used “ignorant” twice. It was on purpose.

I guess, Greensboro, Alabama would fine and/or put in prison:

- President Theodore Roosevelt
- Helen Keller
- Sir Walter Scott
- Thomas Edison
- General George Patton
- Jeannie (Barbara Eden)
- President Woodrow Wilson
- Michael J. Fox and
- Fred Astaire.

Helen Keller with her Pit Bull - Sir Thomas

Because, you see, they all own or owned American Pit Bull Terriers. Oh, yeah, while at it, they would also arrest and imprison the entire gang of “The Little Rascals,” because, after all, Petey was an American Pit Bull Terrier, too.

To be sure, ALL dogs should be controlled. Certainly, all Pit Bulls should be confined AND controlled. An unconfined bully is potentially trouble, especially if we don’t know anything about the history of the animal. But, even if we do know an animal’s history, the potential for mischief is always there. Notoriously, a Pit Bull cannot be trusted not to fight another dog. Most Pit Bulls, however, absolutely love people and have been bred not to be human-aggressive. What some morons do to them to make them vicious...well, that's another story. Maybe I will be there, when they let Vick out of prison. Anybody know where I can find some rotten eggs?

Instead of punishing gentle people like Mrs. X from Greensboro, Alabama, the authorities and the people of the town could have tried to help her.

Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Kommunist.

Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.

Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten,
habe ich nicht protestiert;
ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.

Als sie die Juden holten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Jude.

Als sie mich holten,
gab es keinen mehr, der protestieren konnte.

Translation

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)

Newsletter from the Alabama Bully rescue group

2008-09-19T09:48:00.005-05:00

Bama Bully Rescue, Inc is preparing to launch their new monthly e-newsletter, Bully Bark! They extend an invitation to their supporters to sign up to receive it! Just go to their website http://www.bamabully.org/ and you can enter your name and email address and that's all it takes. Bully Bark! will include the latest news and happenings within BBR, event announcements, featured adoptables, spotlight adoptions, informative articles, training, care & safety tips and much more! As some of you may know, the Alabama rescue group was recently reorganized, so they are excited to get their newsletter up and running and will appreciate your feedback and suggestions for future issues. Tell your fellow bully owners to sign up, as well

Beware of the weenie dog!

2008-07-09T23:49:00.007-05:00

For those who still have trouble understanding the truth, here is a well-controlled, well-referenced, scientific publication that concludes what we have always known:

" Breeds next with the greatest percentage of dogs exhibiting serious aggression (bites or bite attempts) toward humans included Dachshunds, Chihuahuas and Jack Russell Terriers (toward strangers and owners); Australian Cattle Dogs (toward strangers); and American Cocker Spaniels and Beagles (toward owners). More than 20% of Akitas, Jack Russell Terriers and Pit Bull Terriers were reported as displaying serious aggression toward unfamiliar dogs."

Deborah L. Duffya, Yuying Hsub and James A. Serpella, Breed differences in canine aggression. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2008 (in press), Accepted 18 April 2008. Available online 3 June 2008.

Doo Dah Day in Birmingham

2008-05-26T19:28:00.006-05:00

As far as I know Doo Dah Day and the Parade are unique... maybe not. Thousands of dogs (and cats) are brought to Southside's Highland area , just to be seen and be showed-off. Since I knew that Bama Bully Rescue was going to have a tent, I decided to go, for the first time in the 23 years we have been in Birmingham. I really wanted to meet these dedicated and utterly friendly folks whom I have "met" virtually, but never in person. I also decided to take Sándor along ... with some trepidation, I might add, since he has never been in a crowd before. He loves people and has been properly socialized, but he is kind of awkward with other dogs. He eagerly wants to play, but, until a couple of months ago, he was fairly aggressive. Not in a mean way, just playing too roughly. So we have been practicing with dogs in our neighborhood. Luckily, or unluckily, depending on your perspective, we have no leash laws and all sorts of dogs run around aimlessly. For my purposes, the best part is that most of them are uncontrolled and seem to never have had any training. So they come bounding toward us, with Sándor always on a leash. Using “Sit-Stay” and “OK, make friends” commands we have reached a controllable situation. I wish he would ignore other dogs, like he does cats, but that is not likely to happen any time soon.

So we went to Doo Dah Day, later in the day, hoping to avoid the busiest time. I needn’t have worried. Sándor behaved like a properly trained bully: loving toward all people who wanted to meet him, interested and friendly toward all dogs, small or large. He heeled as we threaded our way through Caldwell and Rhodes Parks. He handled with aplomb the immense noise, the bands playing loudly, and the myriad people on blankets scattered all over. I am so proud of him!

Meeting the ladies of BBR was a delight, too. Warmth, friendliness, and dedication just exudes from them. My pleasure, indeed, to meet them.

Sándor at 9 months

2008-05-09T20:52:00.002-05:00

Who Let the Dogs Out?

2008-05-09T20:45:00.005-05:00

A saga of poetry and pit bulls

By Jeanne Marie Laskas

The Washington Post

Sunday, August 26, 2007; Page W35

A story that I really enjoyed.

Click on the title of this blog to go to the article.

"I am terrified of 'pit buls.'"

2008-03-10T17:01:00.002-05:00

So, I am parked in front of my optometrist today. Left the windows 3/4 down with Sandor in a backseat harness. When I come out of the office, 10-mins later, 50ish lady sez, "What a beautiful dog! Look at those eyes. Can I pet him." I said, "Sure. He loves to be petted." So she sticks her arm through the window and pets Sandor who promptly licks her hand, grins, and wags his rump off. She, then arks,"What kind is it?" I say, "An American Pit Bull Terrier." She yanks her hand out of the car as if burned, and says "I am terrified of 'pit bulls.'" I say, "Apparently not, you just petted one."

Which, of course, ended up in a discussion with both of us agreeing that it's not the dog's breed that makes a difference, but the owner.

Mark a brownie for bullies, today. ;-D

We also went to Caldwell Park in the South Highland (Birmingham) area. Guy with two bullies all over the place. Him screaming their names, them ignoring him. They run up to Sandor. Sandor sits like statue, until I say, "OK...make friends," which, of course, creates a lot of happy frolicking, until I say, "Out," make the hand signal "Come," and Sandor promptly runs up to me and sits next to me. Guy says "How did you do that?" I say, "It's called obedience training" and introduce him to Aaron McDonald, our trainer, who was there to teach me agility training using benches and low walls.

Mark brownie two for bullies and one for obedience training.

Then we went to the vet to check the stitches (which are gone) 10-days after neutering. The staff fawns all over Sandor because is so well-behaved and sits calmly in the middle of the waiting room, with a lady's Schnauzer going nuts. She asks, "What kind of dog is that?".... well, you know the rest of the story...

Brownie three.

As a reward, we go to PSP, tie Sandor's leash to the shopping cart and he pulls the cart following me, while I get him $61-worth of chew toys, hide twists, and treats to hide inside doggie puzzles. Staff is howling with laughter when they see us and everyone wants to pet the "cute little cart puller." They didn't have to ask the breed... they know him, by now.

Brownie 4, anyway.

I guess we just started Ambassadorship 201.

Love Mondays, when our clinic is closed and we go carousing and we both end up with huge grins on our faces. Of course, Sandor grins all the time anyway.

Alabama Bulldogger Association Show

2008-02-08T10:21:00.001-06:00

Man Bites Dog

2008-02-03T19:14:00.004-06:00

Milwaukee and other cities have banned pit bulls, but the legislation doesn’t really protect people. Worse, it blinds us to the real threat.

by Susan Nusser

Tuesday 8/1/2006

This a superb article and a must reading for anybody who is eitehr sitting on the fence or wants to get "educated" by a fine writer. Do take a looksee at:

http://www.milwaukeemagazine.com/currentIssue/full_feature_story.asp?NewMessageID=13117&pf=yes

You won't regret it.

Hollywood hypocrites or just morons?

2008-01-27T21:03:00.001-06:00

List of Hollywood Hypocrites

The following Hollywood celebrities have all supported PETA, a group which is opposed to all animal research. At the same time they have directly benefited from or supported important charities whose work relies on the very research PETA opposes:

Gillian Anderson: Her brother suffers from Neurofibromatosis and she is Honorary Spokesperson Neurofibromatosis Association (U.K.). Gillian has also lobbied Congress for more research funding and education.

Pamela Anderson: Pamela has done charity work for Liver disease includes American Liver Foundation—Grand Marshal (10/27/02), S.O.S. ride aimed at combating hepatitis C, Canadian Liver Foundation—involved in ABC’s of Liver Disease: A National Conference on Viral Hepatitis

Christina Applegate: Christina has done charity work for Breast Cancer, including Lee National Denim Day—2003 Spokesperson (promotes breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment with Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation)

Rosanna Arquette: Rosanna has supported numerous causes including AIDS - Attended 2001 amFAR gala; Breast Cancer - Quilts of Inspiration—submitted quilt block for massive Komen Foundation quilt fundraiser

Bea Arthur: Bea is a supporter of AIDS charities through multiple galas/fundraisers, etc.

Alec Baldwin: Alec supports a number of charities for AIDS - More information; His mother is a survivor of Breast Cancer and Alec is Executive Vice President of Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund; He also attended gala for Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation to support Spinal Cord Injury charity work.

Jillian Barberie: Jillian supports AIDS research and care, attending “Karaoke Revolution” fundraiser for Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation; For the City of Hope was the Moderator, The Real Deal: A Celebration of Your Favorite Out & Proud Reality Show Stars (12/11/03)

Kim Basinger: Kim is a supporter of a number of AIDS chairities

Marc Bouwer: Marc designed a gown for a doll that would be sold to support breast cancer research

Rebecca DeMornay: Rebecca attended Carousel of Hope fundraiser for Pediatric Diabetes

Kevin Eubanks: Kevin volunteers to fight Pediatric Diseases and Disorders at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles with weekly visits with hospitalized pediatric cancer patients; He also spoke at fundraiser benefiting Neil Bogart Memorial Fund, devoted to hands-on research for the treatment and cure of children with cancer, leukemia, and AIDS

Edie Falco: Edie is a breast cancer patient and has benfited from the research PeTA opposes. She also participated in “Curtain Call for Carolers” fundraiser Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDSin 2004 (a service organization for AIDS patients)

Carrie Fisher: As a bipolar disporder patient, Carrie has benfited from research opposed by PeTA. She has also supported charities fightin AIDS as an attendee at the Art for AIDS Charity Auction and fighting Pediatric Diabetes attending the Carousel of Hope Gala.

Joan Jett: Joan supported T.J. Martell and Libby Ross Foundations by covering the Beatles’ “The Word” to support awareness of Breast Cancer research.

Shirley Jones: Shirley contributed to charity auction for Discovery Fund for Eye Research

David LaChapelle: David contributed artwork to Village Care of New York’s Network of AIDS Services “Who Do You Love? Art Exhibit and Sale” and charity auction for Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. He was also was part of the Got Milk! campaign which contradicts his support for PeTA on so many other levels.

Bill Maher: Bill supports AIDS, Cystic Fibrosis & Cancer charities. He also attended “Rock & Soul to Erase MS” party;

Cindy Margolis: Cindy conceived her child using In Vitro Fertilization, and is a major advocate for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association

Paul McCartney: McCartney has been criticized by British scientists for his support of organizations which animal research

Rue McClanahan: As a breast cancer survivor and advocate, Rue has benefited from research which PeTA opposes.

John McEnroe: The John McEnroe Foundation has donated to Lenox Hill Hospital, Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Olivia Newton-John: Olivia has founded Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre (research & treatment) in Melbourne, Australia

Carlos Ponce: Carlos participated in Hope & Harmony Golf and Tennis Classic for Diabetes Research Institute

Dennis Rodman: Dennis participated in the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain to benefit Multiple Sclerosis research

Charlize Theron: Charlize supports Project Angelfood and AIDS charities in her native South Africa
-----------------
So, dudes & dudettes - make up your collective minds! You can either have research or PETA. Not both. Or are you just hedging your bets?

Ad in Variety - Jan. 17. 2008

2008-01-27T20:48:00.000-06:00

Consumer Group Asks Virginia Government to Reclassify PETA as a Slaughterhouse

2008-01-27T20:30:00.002-06:00

WASHINGTON, DC- Yesterday the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom formally petitioned Virginia's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), requesting that the government agency officially reclassify People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as a slaughterhouse.

An official report filed by PETA itself shows that the animal rights group put to death nearly every dog, cat, and other pet it took in for adoption in 2006. During that year, the well-known animal rights group managed to find adoptive homes for just 12 animals. Not counting pets brought to PETA for spaying or neutering, the organization killed 2,981 of the 3,061 “companion animals” it took in. According to VDACS, the average euthanasia rate for humane societies in Virginia was 34.7 percent in 2006. PETA's "kill rate" was 97.4 percent.

“It is absurd to classify PETA as a ‘humane society’ when its employees are slaughtering nearly every companion animal they bring in,” said CCF Director of Research David Martosko. “PETA has killed over 17,000 pets since 1998. Given the group's astonishing habit of killing adoptable dogs and cats with such ruthless efficiency, it's only fair that the state of Virginia refer to PETA as a slaughterhouse.”

CCF’s letter to VDACS Commissioner Todd Haymore reads as follows:

Dear Commissioner Haymore,

The Norfolk-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) enjoys nonprofit status as a “humane society” and “releasing agency” as defined in Virginia Code § 3.1-796.66. But when PETA filed its required online “Animal Record” report for the year 2006, it reported something startling.

Setting aside the dogs and cats the group sterilized that year, PETA euthanized (killed) 97.4 percent of all the domestic animals it took in.[1] This percentage has been steadily increasing each year since 2001, when PETA’s “kill rate” was 72.4 percent. In 2006, the state average for “humane societies” was less than 35 percent.

In 2006, PETA employees killed 2,980 dogs, cats, and other pets; they transferred 46 to other Virginia releasing agencies; they adopted out only 12.

During a 2007 criminal trial in North Carolina, a PETA manager testified that her organization maintains a large walk-in freezer for the storage of animal carcasses. She testified that PETA employs a crematory service to periodically dispose of the bodies. And she also affirmed that (despite its $32 million budget), PETA does not operate a public “shelter” where members of the public may select dogs or cats and adopt them into their homes.

Given PETA’s apparent practice of killing animals shortly after they come in the door (or, in the North Carolina case, inside a cargo van), without making a good-faith effort to find them adoptive homes or provide necessary long-term veterinary care, its classification as a “humane society” and “releasing agency” seems inappropriate.

Accordingly, I am requesting as a resident of Virginia that your office strip PETA of these designations, and regulate it instead in the future as a “slaughterhouse.”

I recognize that Virginia law presently provides only for the regulation of slaughterhouses, packing facilities, and stockyards which handle animals defined as “livestock.” I respectfully suggest that you should also amend your regulations to account for the fact that at least one Virginia institution (PETA) already operates a slaughterhouse for dogs and cats.

Sincerely,

David Martosko

Director of Research

The Center for Consumer Freedom is a nonprofit coalition supported by restaurants, food companies, and consumers, working together to promote personal responsibility and protect consumer choices.

For media comment, contact our media department at 202-463-7112 ext 115
URL: http://www.consumerfreedom.com/pressrelease_detail.cfm?release=224

PETA Killed Over 97 Percent of the Animals in its Care in 2006

2008-01-27T20:02:00.001-06:00

From the PETA Kills Animals Site:

Hypocrisy is the mother of all credibility problems, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has it in spades. While loudly complaining about the "unethical" treatment of animals by restaurant owners, grocers, farmers, scientists, anglers, and countless other Americans, the group has its own dirty little secret.

PETA kills animals. By the thousands.

From July 1998 through December 2006, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) killed over 17,400 dogs, cats, and other "companion animals." That's more than five defenseless creatures every day. PETA has a walk-in freezer to store the dead bodies, and contracts with a Virginia Beach company to cremate them.

Not counting the pets PETA spayed and neutered, the group put to death over 97 percent of the animals it took in during 2006. And its angel-of-death pattern shows no sign of changing.

Here are the VDAS original records:
http://www.petakillsanimals.com/downloads/PetaKillsAnimals.pdf

On its 2002 federal income-tax return, PETA claimed a $9,370 write-off for a giant walk-in freezer, the kind most people use as a meat locker or for ice-cream storage. But animal-rights activists don't eat meat or dairy foods. And during a 2007 criminal trial, a PETA manager (testifying under oath) confirmed the obvious -- that the group uses the appliance to store the bodies of its victims.

In 2000, when the Associated Press first noted PETA's Kervorkian-esque tendencies, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk complained that actually taking care of animals costs more than killing them. "We could become a no-kill shelter immediately," she admitted.

PETA kills animals. Because it has other financial priorities.

PETA rakes in nearly $30 million each year in income, much of it raised from pet owners who think their donations actually help animals. Instead, the group spends huge sums on programs equating people who eat chicken with Nazis, scaring young children away from drinking milk, recruiting children into the radical animal-rights lifestyle, and intimidating businessmen and their families in their own neighborhoods. PETA has also spent tens of thousands of dollars defending arsonists and other violent extremists.

PETA claims it engages in outrageous media-seeking stunts "for the animals." But which animals? Carping about the value of future two-piece dinners while administering lethal injections to puppies and kittens isn't ethical. It's hypocritical -- with a death toll that PETA would protest if it weren't their own doing.

PETA kills animals. And its leaders dare lecture the rest of us?

FAILING THE AMERICAN PITBULL TERRIER

2008-01-27T15:22:00.000-06:00

By Nathan J. Winograd

“Teach Compassion.” It is perhaps the most important job we have as animal protectionists. In the mission statement of every animal welfare and animal rights group, every private and public shelter, and within the credo of every activist is a calling to raise awareness of animal suffering and to ultimately encourage more humane treatment. From the earliest days of our movement’s founding, we have heeded the call to change the hearts and minds of the public, knowing that doing so is a precursor to changes in laws and practices that result in animal suffering. But we have our blind spots.

There is no breed of dog in American more abused, maligned, and misrepresented than the American Pit Bull Terrier. There is no breed of dog more in need of our compassion; in need of our call to arms on their behalf; and in need of what should be the full force of our enduring sanctuary. But we have determined that they are not worthy of it.

We have determined that they do not deserve to live. The more circumspect among us might not say so publicly. We may couch it in more benign terms, shifting the blame to others, claiming that no one will adopt them, convincing ourselves that only a ban will keep them out of harm’s way, but the end result is exactly the same. By our actions, by our words, by our policies, by our failure to speak out on their behalf, we stoke the fire that has at its core only one end for Pit Bulls: their mass killing.

To a breed abused for fighting, victimized by an undeserved reputation, relegated to certain death in shelters, add one more torment: those who should be their most ardent protectors have instead turned against them. We have joined the witch hunt.

The very agencies whose officers seek out dog fighters and abusers in order to “save” the poor creatures relegate Pit Bulls to locked and barren corridors away from public view. Ultimately, all of them—the healthy and friendly ones, side-by-side with the hopelessly sick or vicious—are uniformly put to death.

One of the nation’s leading humane newspapers lauds a city not only for outlawing Pit Bulls but for proactively enforcing the ban on them—a ban that leads to their execution. The editors, who have also called for consistency in ethical practices by encouraging shelters to serve only vegetarian food and who applaud other animal rights causes, apparently see no moral ambiguity when officers go door-to-door seizing happy and friendly pets sleeping on beds and couches, taken from their families upon threat of arrest, while animal control shelter workers wait, “euthanasia kits” at the ready.

In an Oregon county, Pit Bulls are killed en masse in a shelter with an avowed No Kill goal by misusing temperament testing as a de facto ban on the breed. In Denver, Colorado, they are simply outlawed and executed. And People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the nation’s most outspoken animal rights group, has joined the battle to exterminate these dogs—supporting a ban on the breed, and agreeing with a policy that all Pit Bulls who enter shelters seeking sanctuary, instead be killed.

Ending the tragic plight of the American Pit Bull Terrier should be among our most ardent goals. Our advocacy must remind people that at one time, the Pit Bull was the most popular pet in America because of their reputation as a friendly, family dog. We must educate people that the Pit Bull’s misfortunate is in finding themselves the favored breed of the dog fighter at this time in history—a distinction shared at one time by the German Shepherd, Doberman, and Rottweiller. And a distinction that will shift to another breed if we ban Pit Bulls but do not bring about an end to the scourge of dog fighting.

We must rally against the injustice of politics which condemn an entire breed of dog—in practical terms, literally hundreds of thousands of dogs a year—to death, because of the unfortunate characteristics of a few of them.

Where there is vilification, we should teach compassion. Where there are scare tactics, we should preach temperance. Where there are lies, we should speak the truth. Otherwise, the animal welfare movement will have failed the Pit Bull completely.

- - - - - - - - - -

Read the book that is being called "powerful and inspirational," "ground-breaking," and "a must read for anyone who cares about animals." Nominated as the Best Book of 2007 (General Interest) by the Dog Writers Association of America, the book shatters the notion that killing animals in U.S. shelters is an act of kindness.

RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK "REDEMPTION" by Nathan J. Winograd: Anyone who donates $50 or more to the No Kill Advocacy Center will receive a copy of Redemption, personally signed by the author.

Note: This book is not published by the No Kill Advocacy Center and the No Kill Advocacy Center is not responsible for its content. To attend the author's free "Building a No Kill Community" seminars at a city near you, click here.

And more. For more information, a sample past issue, and/or to subscribe, go to www.nokillsolutions.com and click on "What's New?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Nathan J. Winograd, the president of No Kill Solutions, is a graduate of Stanford Law School and a former criminal prosecutor and corporate attorney. He has helped write legislation at the state and national level, has spoken nationally and internationally on animal sheltering issues, has created successful no-kill programs in both urban and rural communities, and has consulted with a wide range of animal protection groups, including some of the largest and best known in the country. No Kill Solutions is a full-service consultant agency. By providing consulting, strategic planning, conferences, newsletters, and community-specific lifesaving blueprints, No Kill Solutions can help shelters, rescue groups, animal control agencies and coalitions achieve no-kill in their own hometowns.

Nathan J. Winograd
No Kill Solutions
P.O. Box 74926
San Clemente, CA 92673
www.nokillsolutions.com
(949) 276-6942 telephone
(949) 276-6943 fax

Mitt Romney - a cruel moron

2008-01-26T15:47:00.001-06:00

In 1983 Mitt Romney stuffed the family station wagon with children, suitcases, and supplies, then strapped a dog carrier with the family Irish Setter on TOP of the car. He, then, proceeded to drive for 12 hours for the family’s annual trek from Boston to Ontario. He told everyone they will stop only to refuel. But the Setter took his revenge by having diarrhea all over the carrier and back of the car. Romney then hosed everything down and continued the trip.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/romney/articles/part4_main/

Go ahead, vote for him, if you want to, but I won’t, that’s for sure.

Maybe I am reading too much into this, but if Mr. Romney can do this to a dog, can you imagine what he could do to this country?

There you go… a politician moron, cruel to boot.

Changing the Perception of Pit Bulls

2008-01-25T12:41:00.001-06:00

By LINDA LOMBARDI

Bad dogs, or bad press? When it comes to pit bulls, it seems like most people assume it's the first. But it wasn't always that way.

A pit bull named Stubby earned the rank of sergeant in World War I and appeared on the cover of ``Life'' magazine. Loyal pet of the ``Little Rascals'' on TV, the breed also used to symbolize the nation in editorial cartoons and army posters at the beginning of the 20th century. At one time pit bull terriers were the classic American dog.

Despite this honorable history, they've fallen on hard times. But their defenders are working hard to redeem them.

This February, the ASPCA in New York City is introducing its Adopt-a-Bull contest, co-sponsored by the Animal Farm Foundation in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Open to adopters from shelters that use the ASPCA's Meet Your Match temperament testing, the grand prize winner will get a trip to New York and a $5,000 grant for their shelter.

``There are myths about every breed,'' says Dr. Emily Weiss of the ASPCA, who developed the Meet your Match program. ``If you read the breed description of American pit bull terriers, it doesn't say aggressive. They're incredibly social. They've been our heroes at war, our companions at home.''

In fact, it's only recently that pit bulls have become the dogs that we fear most.

Ledy VanKavage, senior director for legal training and legislation at the ASPCA, knows this from experience. She had a German shepherd in the 1970s, when that breed had a fearsome reputation.

``When I was a kid, once I was walking my German shepherd. A woman came up to me and said, 'That dog's going to rip your face off,''' she says.

That experience was good preparation, perhaps, because VanKavage now has three adopted pit bulls - which she dresses in frilly collars so that people will stop to pet them instead of crossing the street to avoid them.

Perceptions of breeds change over time not because the dogs change, but because they become popular with different types of owners. ``It's the fad dogs, not the bad dogs,'' VanKavage says of the changing fashions for ``dangerous'' breeds.

Behaviorist Weiss says that's what's important to is focus on the individual animal. Each dog that comes into the ASPCA goes through the same testing, to rule out aggression - which can appear in any breed - and to evaluate personality. Adopters are then given color-coded categories corresponding to the results of these tests, so they can look through the shelter for dogs that will meet their preferences.

``People walk in the door thinking they'd never have a pit bull. We've had people completely change their minds after seeing that animal as an individual,'' says Weiss.

This focus on the individual dog is helping pit bulls at other shelters as well. When Lisa LaFontaine was made the new CEO of Washington Humane Society in Washington, D.C., she brought with her a new emphasis on temperament testing.

In the past, pit bulls that came to the shelter were euthanized. Now they've adopted out close to four dozen, and follow-ups show that all are doing well in their new homes.

LaFontaine has a personal reason to want the pit bulls that come from her shelter to be good ambassadors for the breed, her own pit bull mix, Nicholas.

``As someone who shares my life and my home with a pit bull, whom I love, I don't want to see dangerous pit bulls out there,'' she says. ``We did this very thoughtfully. We worked with the whole staff, we provided training.''

Employees were enthusiastic about the change, and perhaps there's no better advertisement for the breed than the attitude of shelter workers, who have more basis for comparison than any of us could have in a lifetime. According to LaFontaine, she and fellow pit owner VanKavage are not at all exceptional.

``I've seen a lot of employees of humane organizations who are really aficionados of pit bulls and pit bull mixes,'' she says. ``They're loyal, they're funny, they're energetic, they're people-oriented. I'm not surprised that people who see a lot of animals fall in love with them.''

Email Linda Lombardi at creaturewriter(at)gmail.com

Dog's attack on baby called 'freakish accident'

2008-01-24T21:12:00.001-06:00

from the

Posted on Sun, Jan. 20, 2008

Dog's attack on baby called 'freakish accident'

By Valarie Honeycutt Spears
VHONEYCUTT@HERALD-LEADER.COM

Jeff Mozer said the Jack Russell terrier that attacked and killed his sleeping 6-week-old nephew Friday was a longtime family pet he trusted around his own baby and other babies in the family.

And Justin Mozer and Layne Crim were doting parents, he said, who took safety precautions and "tried to do everything just right," Jeff Mozer said.

"This is the most freakish accident. It was a dog you would never think would harm anyone at all. And my brother was just really proud of the baby, it was his first," Jeff Mozer said.

According to Jeff Mozer, the baby Justin Mozer, named after his father, was sleeping in the middle of a king-size bed about 3:15 p.m. Friday when, without warning, the Jack Russell terrier attacked and killed him.

The Fayette County Coroner's office said Saturday that the cause of the accidental death was "traumatic asphyxia and blood loss due to dog attack."

Lexington police Lt. John Gensheimer said Saturday that at this point there was no reason to file charges. Though police were continuing to conduct interviews, Gensheimer said, there was no evidence to suggest that the death was anything but an accident. The baby was alone in the room, and there were no witnesses to the attack.

The baby's mother, whom Mozer identified as Layne Crim, was in another room when the attack occurred.

Layne Crim's husband died in January 2007, leaving her with two sons, about 1 and 3.

Jeff Mozer said his brother had stepped in to become a loving father to those boys, too.

"I'm very proud of him," Jeff Mozer said.

Mozer said he spent time with his nephew last week. "I held him and kissed him. He was beautiful."

Justin Mozer, 28, was at work at a pool company when the attack occurred, Jeff Mozer said.

The baby had a crib, Jeff Mozer said, but on Friday afternoon he was napping on the bed.

Jeff Mozer said Justin Mozer had owned the Jack Russell for six or seven years. "The dog has been around my baby and other babies in the family. There has never been any reason for alarm."

Jeff Mozer said his brother bought the family home at Seven Pines Drive, near Versailles Road and Alexandria Drive, about a year ago and was remodeling it.

The former president of The Lane neighborhood association, Pete Hagan, said that in September 2007, the association sent Justin Mozer a letter complaining about the behavior of pit bulls kept in the back yard. The letter, which Hagan e-mailed to the Herald-Leader on Saturday, said pit bulls routinely got out of the yard and frightened neighbors. But Hagan said he had no problems with the Jack Russell terrier, and he had noticed no problems with the pit bulls since November.

"We extend our condolences to the Mozers," Hagan said.

Justin Mozer kept a pit bull in the back yard for protection, Jeff Mozer said, but that had nothing to do with the attack on the baby.

The two dogs were taken by Fayette County Animal Control at the owner's request. The dogs' fate was not known last night. Officials did not return telephone calls.

Jeff Mozer said his brother and the baby's mother are inconsolable, as is the rest of the family.

"We will never be the same because of it."

----------------------------------------------------

NOTE by Andrew

ONLY local papers and newscasters carried the story. It's "a freakish accident" if a JRT kills a baby. It's a "murderous rampage" if a dog that MAY be an APBT does. The latter would also make hundreds of newspapers across the Nation and every TV and press news agency known in the galaxy.

Animal Miracle Foundation’s Hero Dog of 2008

2008-01-24T17:52:00.001-06:00

January 24, 2008 |

Animal Miracle Foundation is a Washington state based foundation that aims to raise the awareness of about pet and wildlife issues. Sponsoring three special ‘dog’ awareness days, National Puppy Day on March 23, National Dog Day on Aug. 26 and National Mutt Day on Dec. 2 to highlight the high number of dogs in shelters that need homes, it has chosen it’s Hero Dog of 2008.

Maya, who in June of 2007, saved her human companion, Angela Marcelino, from a violent attack and rape at the hands of an intruder who stood in wait is the Animal Miracle Foundation’s Hero Dog of 2008.

Not only did Maya save Marcelino, she was also instrumental in the conviction of the attacker, Anthony Easley, 37, due to DNA from blood that was taken from Maya’s fur after she attacked the would-be attacker.

For Angela Marcelino, she’s proud of Maya receiving the honor but not surprised that the ever gentle and sweet Maya came to her rescue when she did. You see, Marcelino rescued Maya when the now 5 year old, 25 pound, pit bull mix was only 3 months old and they have been companions ever since.

So not only does this award honor Maya, it’s “a testament to the fact that the pit bull breed can be hero dogs just like any other breed,” Colleen Paige, founder of the group, said in a statement.

As part of the award, Marcelino agreed to write an account of the morning her Maya became a hero.

“I opened my front door and was about to walk inside when I saw someone’s shadow out of the corner of my eye,” she wrote. “I turned my head just as a man pushed me into my house. I screamed as loud as I could, but the man had slammed the door shut behind him.

” ‘Shut up’ were the only words he said to me. He was choking me with one hand. I was able to scream one last time. After I did, his grip tightened around my neck. That is when I saw a white streak run in from the other room. His grip was so tight that I could only gurgle the words ‘Maya, get him.’ He still had a grip on my throat, as his other hand was busy trying to fight off my angry dog.

“I don’t know how, but I managed to get on my feet. His attention turned away from Maya for a second so that he could push my front door open and she followed. At that point, I grabbed him in the groin as hard as I could. He doubled over and released the grip around my neck. I pushed him away and grabbed Maya by the collar. I like to think, at that moment, he told himself he had picked the wrong woman to mess with. He looked at me one last time, only for a second, and then simply walked away.”

Needless to say, Maya has no doubt been more pampered than usual by her ever grateful companion, Marcelino.

“I cry sometimes when I hug Maya and ask her, ‘What would I do without you?’ “

No doubt many of us feel the same about our beloved canine companions, I know that I do and sometimes the worst thing they have rescued us from is a bad day or loneliness but they are ever at our side giving love, loyalty and so much more. For me, my dogs are heroes everyday!

Source - San Jose Mercury News

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8063087?nclick_check=1

S.J. dog that scared away attacker honored as hero
By Linda Goldston
Mercury News
Article Launched: 01/24/2008 03:34:57 AM PST

Bama Bully Rescue - Alabama's new pit bull rescue organization

2008-01-20T14:51:00.002-06:00

The original Pit Bull rescue organization in Alabama, Turtle Moon Rescue, was disbanded by its president.

Members of the ex-TMR that include placement counselors, step-families, and other volunteers immediately stepped up to the plate and proceeded to organize what will be the only Alabama statewide Pit Bull rescue organization. The name of the new rescue group is Bama Bully Rescue (BBR) and its site (under construction) is:

http://www.bamabully.org/

I am VERY proud of these folks for their dedication, expertise, competence, and for delivering “the goods.” They definitely fill an incredible need of one of the most wonderful dog breeds, ever.

While the permanent BBR site is being created, there is a personal MySpace page as a point of contact for friends, and especially for friends of Bullies. The MySpace BamaBullyRescue page contains a Mission Statement for the fledgling 501c3 organization. It starts with:

Bama Bully Rescue is a non-profit, 501c3 pending organization located in Alabama that works with shelters and the public in finding homes for Pit Bulls that have been abandoned, abused, neglected, or fallen victim to other situations in their lives. BBR strives to educate the public about the breeds true nature and encourages responsible ownership by offering training, behavioral and health care advice in hopes to decrease the number of Bullies that would, without such support, be relinquished.

I note that the MySpace site also includes a list and pictures of bullies in need of adoption.

Garland posted the following email to the new Alabama Pit Bull Lovers Yahoo Group:

"Support Bama Bully Rescue! Spread the word and make sure everyone finds out.

Please visit us at http://www.myspace.com/bamabullyrescue and add us as a friend today!

Many of you have heard the news about Turtle Moon Rescue. As the only pit bull specific rescue in Alabama, the need in our state is great now that TMR is no longer.

Previous TMR volunteers and board members have continued on to create Bama Bully Rescue. Our formation of a new bully specific rescue group will be more successful and meaningful with all of our friends' support! Our mission is to help as many needy, homeless, unwanted and abused pit bulls and bully breeds as possible. We also will offer outreach programs to promote responsible pitty ownership, spay and neuter programs and fun events!

Thanks for your support and we look forward to working among the best in the animal welfare community!

Thank you, ladies. Very impressive!

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF PIT BULL OWNERSHIP

2008-01-14T00:11:00.000-06:00

Written by Susan Thompson - Former - PBRC Volunteer

01. Thou shalt NEVER trust thy Pit Bull not to fight
02. Thou shalt contain thy Pit Bull securely when not supervised by an adult
03. Thou shalt NEVER leave thy adult Pit Bull alone and unsupervised with another dog
04. Thou SHALT attend obedience classes most faithfully with thy Pit Bull
05. Thou SHALT keep thy Pit Bull socialized with ALL KINDS of people
06. Thy Pit Bull wilt NEVER be allowed off-leash in a public place
07. Thy Pit Bull wilt NEVER be allowed to roam free in thy neighborhood, EVER!
08. Thou SHALT take thy well trained Pit Bull out in public and show him/her off - on leash for good breed PR!
09. Thy Pit Bull shalt go forth into the world as an ambassador of the pit bull breed
10. THOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY WRONG DONE BY THY DOGS!

Excellent article in New Yorker

2008-01-13T13:38:00.000-06:00

This article by Malcolm Gladwell is an excellent example what a thoughtful writer can do, if he does his homework. Mr. Gladwell is not a pit bull lover; he is an objective writer with a decent perspective.

It's a longish article (5 pages), but I do recommend reading it. It should be required reading especially for bully-hating idiots.

The New Yorker
February 6, 2006
Annals of Public Policy
Troublemakers - What pit bulls can teach us about profiling.
by Malcolm Gladwell

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/02/06/060206fa_fact

If you are interested my exchange with Ing

2008-01-13T00:37:00.000-06:00

Do travel to his blog...

IngyNotes

Intelligent people do change their minds

2008-01-12T16:24:00.001-06:00

Read the exchange on the topic "Pit Bull Owners Are Idiots" between Ingelbert Lievaart II, a photojournalist from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and me: http://ingynotes.blogspot.com/2006/05/pitbull-owners-are-idiots.html

The discussion, which I started by writing a nasty and uncivil comment, ended with Ing telling me in a private email that:

"Thanks for posting your comments. Both of them. Thanks for the "better" title, I have changed it. I was not insulted or hurt by your first comment.

The title was meant as a hook to get some discussion going in case I was to do a story on it. Your argument really brings more truth in to the matter but the paper I worked for closed it's doors and I've quit writing and just photograph now mostly.

I also checked out your website. Interesting stuff indeed. I'm so glad you posted a comment!

As far as my blog, I was surprised anyone ever read it. I think yours is the only comment ever posted and I really liked everything you said. If I ever get an editor who wants me to do the story I'll definitely ask for your help if that's okay. "

So, it was worth the effort to comment on his blog. I may have even made a friend in the process.

So, educate the uninitiated, one a time.

Keep your eyes on this site

2008-01-10T20:17:00.002-06:00

I will need to keep and eye on a new site: "Families and Dogs Against Fighting Breeds" http://www.fdafb.org/#
It has no information yet, other than to say they are in partnership with DogsBite.Org. Looks to me they are the same outfit. A rabid (sic!) pro-BSL group.

Would anyone care to guess what these people's motivations are? Or, maybe they don't have any motivations... they could just be morons. I vote for the latter.

They quote: "Did you know that pit bulls attack adults nearly as often as they attack children?"

So it's not fighting breeds.... it's pit bulls. OK. I will ignore the fact that they will be cherry-picking "evidence" to support their point of view (ANY point of view is defensible if you ignore the facts that contradict it), so, instead, I will ask:

What are the OBJECTIVE data?

What is more likely to bite you? An American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) or a Dachshund? Wait... we don't have to guess. The American Temperament Testing Institute has done the work for us.
http://www.atts.org/index.html

Who are they? Well, "The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATTS) is a national not-for-profit organization (registered in the state of Missouri) for the promotion of uniform temperament evaluation of purebred and spayed/neutered mixed-breed dogs."

They have no ax to grind, have no sponsors, and have no reason to report anything other than the facts.

"The ATTS test focuses on and measures different aspects of temperament such as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness as well as the dog's instinct for protectiveness towards its handler and/or self-preservation in the face of a threat. The test is designed for the betterment of all breeds of dogs and takes into consideration each breed's inherent tendencies.

The test simulates a casual walk through the park or neighborhood where everyday life situations are encountered. During this walk, the dog experiences visual, auditory and tactile stimuli. Neutral, friendly and threatening situations are encountered, calling into play the dog's ability to distinguish between non-threatening situations and those calling for watchful and protective reactions."

As a matter of statistics, nearly 85% of the HUNDREDS of Pit Bulls tested passed this temperament test.

So let's see how your pooch did...... Here I am listing all the breeds of dogs that do WORSE in temperament testing than APBTs. That is, the following dogs, in alphabetical order, are less stable, more shy, more aggressive, and less friendly than Pit Bulls.

AFGHAN HOUND, AIREDALE TERRIER, AKITA, AMERICAN BULLDOG, AMERICAN ESKIMO, AMERICAN WATER SPANIEL, ANATOLIAN SHEPHERD DOG, AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG, AUSTRALIAN KELPIE, AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD, AUSTRALIAN TERRIER, BASENJI, BEAGLE, BEARDED COLLIE, BEAUCERON, BELGIAN SHEEPDOG, BELGIAN TERVUREN, BICHON FRISEE, BORDER COLLIE, BULLDOG, BULLMASTIFF, CAIRN TERRIER, CANAAN DOG, CANE CORSO , CAO DE FILA DE SAO MIGUEL, CARDIGAN WELSH CORGI, CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL, CHIHUAHUA, CHINESE CRESTED DOG, CHINESE SHAR-PEI, CHINOOK,
CHOW CHOW, CLUMBER SPANIEL, COCKER SPANIEL, COLLIE , ALL DACHSHUNDd (MINIATURE SMOOTH, MINIATURE WIREHAIRED, STANDARD LONGHAIRED, STANDARD SMOOTH, STANDARD WIREHAIRED),
DANDIE DINMONT TERRIER, DOBERMAN PINSCHER, ENGLISH SETTER, FIELD SPANIEL, FILA BRASILEIRO,
FINNISH LAPPHUND, FINNISH SPITZ, GERMAN PINSCHER, GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG, GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER, GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTER, GIANT SCHNAUZER, GOLDEN RETRIEVER, GORDON SETTER, GREAT DANE, GREAT PYRENEES, GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOG, GREYHOUND,
ITALIAN GREYHOUND, JACK RUSSELL TERRIER, KERRY BLUE TERRIER, KUVASZ, LHASA APSO, MINIATURE PINSCHER, MINIATURE POODLE, MINIATURE SCHNAUZER, NORWEGIAN ELKHOUND, NORWICH TERRIER,
NOVA SCOTIA DUCK TOLLING RETRIEVER, POLSKI OWCZAREK NIZINNY, POMERANIAN, PORTUGUESE WATER DOG, RAT TERRIER, SALUKI, SAMOYED, SCOTTISH TERRIER, SHIBA INU, SHIH TZU, TOY FOX TERRIER, WELSH TERRIER, TREEING WALKER COONHOUND, VIZSLA, WEIMARANER, WIRE FOX TERRIER,
YORKSHIRE TERRIER.

Notice, dear, that your beloved ShihTzu is worse-tempered than my Pit Bull

You will probably say that when a pit bull bites it's much more damaging.

How about a Pomeranian killing a baby? http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/10/09/pomeranian.kills.ap/

a Labrador....
"Labrador kills elderly woman." http://furbabyplace.proboards46.com/index.cgi?board=chat10&action=display&thread=1147437950

Over the 37-year period from 1965-2001, pit bulls have been blamed for an average of 2.48 human fatalities per year.

You are.....

- more than 200 times more likely to die from taking aspirin than from a pit bull attack;

- more than 25 times more likely to have your baby killed by a faulty crib than the total
number of children AND adults killed by Pit Bulls;

- more than 60 times more likely to be killed by a palm tree than a Pit Bull;

- 151 times more likely to be killed by your bathtub than you are by a Pit Bull;

- more than 3,000 times more likely to be killed by your medication than an Pit Bull;

- more than 87,000 times more likely to be killed by an in-hospital error than by a Pit Bull

- 30 times more likely to be killed by lightning (U.S. National Weather Service reporting on lightning fatalities over the last 30 years - average 62 lightning fatalities per year);

- A child is more than 800 times more likely to be killed by their parent/caretaker than by a pit bull.

- Slip and falls account for over 20,000 fatalities per year in North America

- Alcohol abuse kills some 75,000 Americans each year

Since, it is estimated that perhaps as many as 1.25 million pit bulls are killed per year, it is at least a 500,000 more likely that a pit bull will be killed by a human than the other way around. For every pit bull who kills, there are hundreds of thousands that DON'T.

So let's ban aspirin, in fact all medications, hospitals doctors, coconut trees, parents, bathtubs, the weather, rolling pins, mountains, stairs, skates, tigers (wild tigers kill on average 40-60 people per year), zoos, domestic cats (care to guess how many babies are still-born because their mother changed the cat litter?), snow, hills, sinkholes pocket knives, cocktails, loud music, Home Depot (2200 people are injured in Home Depot stores per year), fish (fugu kills 20 people every year in Japan)....

So, dear reader, what do I want from you?

I am asking you to take a personal responsibility of what you do, where, when, and how. If you prefer to have your welfare legislated what if "they" also come after YOUR passion. When I was about 18 I was preparing for an entrance exam into a University in a communist country I was arrested and interogated for 3 days, because I was caught painting a bridge that had rail tracks going over it. I can give you the name and email address of the other guy who was arrested with me. He is in Los Angeles now.

I will take responsibility for the behavior of my dog. If my pure-bred American Pit Bull Terrier ever gets out and hurts you or any of your family members, I will turn myself in to the police immediately and won't even attempt to defend myself against a charge of attempted murder.

I certainly will not believe that you still prefer to kill millions of animals each year so that you and yours are "protected?"

But I am willing to go further... if you can identify the American Pit Bull Terrier in fewer than 10 tries, from the pictures of the following 25 dogs, I will surrender my dog right this second:

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

So which one are you going ban?

See the problem?

Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten, habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Kommunist.
Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten, habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.
Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten, habe ich nicht protestiert; ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.
Als sie mich holten, gab es keinen mehr, der protestierte.

Martin Niemöller (1892—1984) (protestant German pastor)

[Translation]

When the Nazis arrested the Communists, I said nothing; after all, I was not a Communist.
When they locked up the Social Democrats, I said nothing; after all, I was not a Social Democrat.
When they arrested the trade unionists, I said nothing; after all, I was not a trade unionist.
When they arrested me, there was no longer anyone who could protest.

What do I want from Families and Dogs Against Fighting Breeds? I want them to get a life and spend their energy and money on some truly worthy cause. Like, say, paying the salaries of a couple of more police officers who could get drunk drivers off the road. Hmmm.... now that's an idea I would support.

Creep gets 102 years in prison for fighting pit bulls

2008-01-10T18:12:00.001-06:00

From my neck of the woods (Alabama):

"A jury convicted 43-year-old Johnny Ray Lewis of Cottonwood in September on 17 felony counts of possessing dogs with the intent to train them for fighting. In November, Circuit Court Judge Ed Jackson sentenced Lewis to serve 102 years in prison, at six years for each of the felony convictions....." read on:
http://www.dothaneagle.com/gulfcoasteast/dea/local_news.apx.-content-articles-DEA-2008-01-09-0003.html

Unfortunately, it also brings up the ripples the "easing up" on Vick's sentence could produce, when invoked as "precedence" by unscrupulous defense attorneys.

The part about 39 dogs being euthanized, breaks my heart, but I'd rather see them at peace than tortured.

McDonald K-9 Academy - very impressive

2007-12-19T22:14:00.001-06:00

In case you live in the Birmingham, Alabama Metro Area, and want/need training to work with your dog, do yourself a favor and check out the McDonald K-9 Academy.

I know you will be impressed, just like we are.

2007-12-19T22:01:00.002-06:00

The breeds most likely to kill

In recent years, the dogs responsible for the bulk of the homicides are pit bulls and Rottweilers:
"Studies indicate that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF (i.e., dog bite related fatalities) reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996....[T]he data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." (Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.)

The Clifton study of attacks from 1982 through 2006 produced similar results. According to Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes were responsible for 65% of the canine homicides that occurred during a period of 24 years in the USA. (Clifton, Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006).

Other breeds were also responsible for homicides, but to a much lesser extent. A 1997 study of dog bite fatalities in the years 1979 through 1996 revealed that the following breeds had killed one or more persons: pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers, chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards and Akitas. (Dog Bite Related Fatalities," Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 30, 1997, Vol. 46, No. 21, pp. 463 et. seq.) Since 1975, fatal attacks have been attributed to dogs from at least 30 breeds.

The most horrifying example of the lack of breed predictability is the October 2000 death of a 6-week-old baby, which was killed by her family's Pomeranian dog. The average weight of a Pomeranian is about 4 pounds, and they are not thought of as a dangerous breed. Note, however, that they were bred to be watchdogs! The baby's uncle left the infant and the dog on a bed while the uncle prepared her bottle in the kitchen. Upon his return, the dog was mauling the baby, who died shortly afterwards. ("Baby Girl Killed by Family Dog," Los Angeles Times, Monday, October 9, 2000, Home Edition, Metro Section, Page B-5.)

In Canine homicides and the dog bite epidemic: do not confuse them, it has been pointed out that the dog bite epidemic as a whole involves all dogs and all dog owners, not just the breeds most likely to kill.

In all fairness, therefore, it must be noted that:

Any dog, treated harshly or trained to attack, may bite a person. Any dog can be turned into a dangerous dog. The owner or handler most often is responsible for making a dog into something dangerous.

An irresponsible owner or dog handler might create a situation that places another person in danger by a dog, without the dog itself being dangerous, as in the case of the Pomeranian that killed the infant (see above).

Any individual dog may be a good, loving pet, even though its breed is considered to be potentially dangerous. A responsible owner can win the love and respect of a dog, no matter its breed. One cannot look at an individual dog, recognize its breed, and then state whether or not it is going to attack.
http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html

Factors that determine whether a dog will bite

It unfortunately is common for dogs to direct their aggression against people, by biting them. Two percent of the population of the USA is bitten by dogs every year.

There is much in the scientific literature of animal behavior that sheds light on the causes of dog attacks. As you review the literature, it is interesting to note that a dog owner is directly responsible for the presence or absence of most factors that determine whether a dog will bite.

A report by the American Veterinary Medical Association, Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions, entitled “A Community Approach to Dog Bite Prevention” (http://www.dogbitelaw.com/dogbite.pdf), refers to five factors commonly associated with dog bites:

1. Breed and "parents" of the attacking dog: this refers to aggression as a type of behavior that has been bred into certain breeds of dogs, and characteristics of the "sire" and "bitch" that produce an individual dog.

2 Socialization of the dog: how the dog has been desensitized to stimuli, especially stimuli produced by children. Poor socialization results in less inhibition to bite and engage in other undesirable behavior.

3. Training of the dog: the nature, degree and quality of training. A dog that has been trained to threaten people is an obvious danger, but so is a dog that has been poorly trained or not trained at all.

4. Health of the dog: whether the dog was sick or injured. When a dog is sick or injured, or in pain, biting can result for a number of reasons.

5. Behavior of the victim: this includes any behavior (i.e., a baby rolling over on a bed), not just provocation (i.e., hitting the dog).

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/whybite.html

At one time, the American Pit Bull Terrier was a true American “nanny dog” protecting children and loved by families. In the beginning of the 20th Century it was the number one family dog:

http://www.thetruthaboutpitbulls.com/

So what happened?

Now let’s look at the issues behind the statistics….

I. The Difficulty In Accurately Identifying 'Pit Bulls'

First of all, The term 'pit bull', in its somewhat broad meaning, generally includes breeds such as: American Pit Bull Terrier (UKC), American Staffordshire Terrier (CKC & AKC), Staffordshire Bull Terrier (CKC & AKC), and sometimes the Bull Terrier.

To accurately identify a dog of just about any breed, the viewer must be truly experienced with a wide array of dog breeds. Even some "experts" might have difficulty differentiating between a female AmStaff and a female Cane Corso, for example.

Unfortunately, many other breeds or crosses are confused with 'pit bulls'. Similar-looking, but much larger breeds such as: Presa Canario, Cane Corso, Dog Argentino, & Tosa Inu are more frequently misidentified as 'pit bulls' than not.

And even breeds that look nothing like 'pit bulls' have been reported as such. Some of those misidentified as 'pit bulls' are: Jack Russell Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Great Dane, and even an Airedale cross.

If anyone thinks I am kidding, here is a site that has the pictures of 25 dogs:

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

Go ahead, click on the pictures of the dogs you think are pit bulls. (Hint: Only ONE of them is!).

When government agencies or the media report a “pit bull” attack (fatal or otherwise) it is seldom that the actual breed is verified by a qualified professional. Even, when a knowledgeable person does point out that the attacking dog was some other breed, we NEVER hear a correction or a retraction from the reporting source. NEVER. Does that surprise you?

Still not convinced? Look here:

http://www.coldsteelpits.com/coldsteelfindthepitbull2.htm

Honestly, now, could YOU tell the difference between what you thought a pit bull was and a Alapaha BlueBlood Bulldog? Now think about the average person (or policeman) reporting a dog attack… if you are reading this you are at least somewhat interested in dogs…. Most people can’t tell the difference between a Molosser and a Chihuahua.

BTW, there are over 100 breeds of Molossers:

http://www.moloss.com/001/ptxt/breed.html

You want a list of dog fighting breeds?… also dozens:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dog_fighting_breeds

"In reviewing and studying over 448 cases of fatal dog attacks in the United States, it is apparent that the three most critical factors that contribute to a fatal dog attack are: function of the dog, owner responsibility and reproductive status of the dog. There is no documented case where a single, neutered, household pit bull was the cause of a human fatality.” Karen Delise, in “Fatal Dog Attacks.”

Biting and attacking are behaviors, NOT a matter of temperament.

II. Temperament Test Results

What is temperament?

W. Handel, German Police Dog Trainer, in his article, "The Psychological Basis of Temperament Testing," defines temperament as:

"the sum total of all inborn and acquired physical and mental traits and talents which determines, forms and regulates behavior in the environment"

The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATTS) test focuses on and measures different aspects of temperament such as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness as well as the dog's instinct for protectiveness towards its handler and/or self-preservation in the face of a threat. The test is designed for the betterment of all breeds of dogs and takes into consideration each breed's inherent tendencies.

The test simulates a casual walk through the park or neighborhood where everyday life situations are encountered. During this walk, the dog experiences visual, auditory and tactile stimuli. Neutral, friendly and threatening situations are encountered, calling into play the dog's ability to distinguish between non-threatening situations and those calling for watchful and protective reactions.

The ATTS Temperament Test consists of ten subtests divided into five subcategories:

1. Behavior Toward Strangers
2. Reaction to Auditory Stimuli
3. Reaction to Visual Stimulus
4. Tactile Stimuli
5. Self-Protective/Aggressive Behavior

http://www.atts.org/testdesc.html

The American Temperament Test Society conducts tests every year on thousands of dogs to determine the soundness of their temperament. The American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier routinely and consistently rank in the average range, and well above many "popular" breeds such as the beagle, collie, Doberman pinscher, cocker spaniel, dachshund, and Great Dane. (Source: American Temperament Test Society)

http://www.atts.org/index.html

Alfons Estelt of the American Temperament Test Society, Inc., stated the following with respect to pit bulls: "The American Pit Bull Terriers participating in our temperament evaluation have thus far shown a passing rate of 95%. The other 121 breeds of dogs in our tests showed the average passing rate of 77%."

III. Morons 1 – Politicans (wouldn’t you know)

According to the National Canine Research Council, Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, (R-Moore), pushing for (Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) for the entire state of Oklahoma was reported ("Dog Gone Goal of Lawmaker," Enid News, July 28, 2005), to have stated:

"Each year we lose 10 children and two elderly people because of pit bull attacks nationally"

Wow! you say. That’s really bad. Except for a tiny flaw… the man is lying. Here are the statistics:

· In 1998 there was 1 child & 0 elderly persons killed by Pit Bulls & pit bull-type dogs.
· In 1999 there were 3 children & 0 elderly persons killed by Pit Bulls & pit-bull-type dogs.
· In 2000 there were 4 children & 2 elderly persons killed by Pit Bulls & pit bull- type dogs.
· In 2001 there were 4 children & 0 elderly persons killed by Pit Bulls & pit bull-type dogs.
· In 2002 there were 3 children and 0 elderly persons killed by Pit Bulls & pit bull-type dogs.
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/politicsandpitbulls.asp

Although 3 children were killed by Pit bulls in 1999, an additional 19 children were killed that same year by other (non-Pit Bull) breeds of dogs. So while Pit Bulls and aggression grab the headlines, these other 19 young victims go virtually unnoticed in a climate of breed hysteria - and any lessons we may have learned about the cause of their tragedies are overshadowed by the Great Pit Bull Debate.

Kory Nelson, Assistant City Attorney for the Denver City Attorney's Office is quoted with making the following remark in "City Plans to Fight for Pit Bull Ban", Fox31 KDVR-Denver: "The fact we haven't had fatal attacks in years indicates it (the ban) may be working." The last “pit bull” attack in Denver occurred in 1986. The BSL banning “the breed” in Denver was instituted in 1989.

Makes sense, right? Wrong. Portland, Oregon, a city with the same population as Denver, also reported a fatal Pit Bull attack in 1986. Portland, Oregon did not institute a ban on Pit Bulls after this incident, yet they have not had another incidence of a fatal Pit bull attack since 1986.

Cause and effect? I think not!

In 2004, thirty-five (35) children died as a result of maltreatment (abuse or neglect) in Colorado. In a single year, 2004, more than FOUR times as many children died from maltreatment (abuse/neglect) than the total of ALL dog attacks in Colorado over the past 42 years. Oh, yeah… in 2004, 8 people drowned in their pool and 249 were killed in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents. Not a single dog-related fatality.

Heard about Ontario’s Michael Bryant? No? Well, he was elected as the Ontario Attorney General and Minister with responsibility for Native Affairs and Democratic Renewal. You know what he is known for best? You guessed… lying. See for yourself:

http://www.dogwatch.net/fight_ontario_ban/michael_bryant.html

Like I said… morons! This time with a political agenda.

IIIa. IDIOTS 2 – The Media

The National Canine Research Council reveals biased reporting by the media, its devastating consequences for dogs and the toll it takes on public safety. Consider how the media reported four incidents that happened between August 18th and August 21st:

* August 18, 2007 - A Labrador mix attacked a 70-year-old man sending him to the hospital in critical condition. Police officers arrived at the scene and the dog was shot after charging the officers. This incident was reported in one article and only in the local paper.

* August 19, 2007 - A 16-month old child received fatal head and neck injuries after being attacked by a mixed breed dog. This attack was reported two times by the local paper only.

* August 20, 2007 - A 6-year-old boy was hospitalized after having his ear torn off and receiving severe bites to the head by a medium-sized mixed breed dog. This attack was reported in one article and only in the local paper.

* August 21, 2007 - A 59-year-old woman was attacked in her home by two Pit bulls and was hospitalized with severe injuries. This attack was reported in over two hundred and thirty articles in national and international newspapers, as well as major television news networks, including CNN, MSNBC and FOX.

"Clearly a fatal dog attack by an unremarkable breed is not as newsworthy as a non-fatal attack by a Pit bull" says Karen Delise, researcher for the National Canine Research Council.

So is media coverage “proof” that pit bulls are more dangerous than other dogs? Costly and ineffective public policy decisions are being made on the basis of such "proof". The result? Biased reporting is not only lethal to an entire population of dogs, but sensationalized media coverage endangers the public by misleading them about the real factors in canine aggression. I guess you can’t make money by reporting that a Pomeranian killed a child. Which did happen.

I don’t condone aggression. You want to see some truly vicious bullies? Here, take a gander:

http://pitbulls.iwarp.com/photo.html

Some excellent sites about pit bulls or, more, precisely, the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT):

http://www.squidoo.com/pit-bulls
http://www.fataldogattacks.com/
http://www.thetruthaboutpitbulls.com/
http://www.realpitbull.com/
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/
http://www.pbrc.net/
http://www.workingpitbull.com/
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cruelty_pitbull
http://www.dapbt.org/
http://www.pitbulllovers.com/

Let's start this soapbox

2007-12-19T18:16:00.001-06:00

First let me mention that I am qualified (licensed) behavioral psychologist. I have trained many animals, anywhere from lizards up to Rhesus monkeys and children with behavioral problems. Never did dogs, although I had a good notion of the principles involved. Did my homework as far as dog ownership is concerned and have decided that I wanted a pit bull puppy. My main reason, after wanting a dog of my own for three decades, was to have a dog that needed a lot of work, one that had plenty of energy, intelligence, and character and one that was known for its loyalty to the human family. The fact that the whole breed is under attack because of morons like Vick and the sensation-seeking media was a plus, inasmuch as I wanted the challenge to show that a dog is just a dog, no matter what the breed and its behavior ALWAYS represents the effort and care the owner has put into owning a dog.

I studied everything I could lay my hands on pit bulls and dog raising: videos, TV shows (love the “Dog Whisperer”) books, discussion groups and forums, Web sites, and talked to as many owners and veterinarians as I could. Then, I read about training methods and philosophies. Several of my friends had variable experiences with several dog trainers and facilities and we discussed the pros and cons of each. I also talked to foster “parents” for the local pit bull rescue group and found out what my options were for training and working with a pit bull. I decided that the McDonald K-9 Academy in Birmingham, Alabama was what I wanted.

After only five training sessions, I will bet anyone that our not-quite-5 months old puppy is better behaved than 99% of the dogs I have ever met. He is also one of the most affectionate animals you will ever meet. Loves people, children, babies and gets along with cats. Sandor (Shahndor) will go around the house when he is let out of the crate first thing in the morning and “kiss” everybody “good morning” before he goes outside and before he eats, although he really wants to do both, badly.

All this due to Aaron McDonald who, patiently and kindly, has trained us (my wife and I) how to work with Sandor. Aaron is a genuine lover of dogs; however do not mistake that for a weakness, because the first sign of love he teaches you is that controlling your dog is an absolute must. A dog under control is easy to like. Many people love their dogs, but many don’t like them because the dog does whatever it wants. Just like a child, a dog that does not know the rules is uncomfortable. That discomfort will be expressed in a myriad of possible ways, like chewing, biting, dominant/aggressive behavior (jumping on you; sitting in hour lap when you have not given permission) and jumping on people or being afraid of people who visit you, barking, whining, doing its “business” all over the place, pulling on the leash, and just generally being a pain to own. All I have to do is look around the neighborhood (we have no leash laws) for examples of what I am talking about.