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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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!)

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

ART HELPING ANIMALS

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

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

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

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:

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

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

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)

The following are my personal observations about taking on several APBT puppies.

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 my dog EVERY DAY for the last 10 years. Ditto for any fosters I have had. 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. Ferraris are not for everyone either. Ownership of an American Pit Bull Terrier demands dedication, a firm hand, willingness to commit to being responsible for every second of every minute, 24/7 of your dog's entire life. If you are a soft-hearted, Pollyanna and just want a dog to sleep with you, forget the Pit Bull. Yes, they are cuddly and many sleep with their human companions. Yes they love people. But they need A LOT of work to be safe, happy, and good companions for you. Also, if you are a cold-hearted bastard and like your dogs chained to a tree in the middle of the yard, don't bother with Pit Bulls. A chained dog CAN get really pissed off and should it ever got loose, I hope they bite you in the ass. If you are cruel to a dog, you will go to Hell, anyway, but I want you punished now, on this Earth.

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 it 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 should have at least 3 leashes, preferably 4:
i. one for training (6 ft)
ii. one for walking (5 ft)
iii. one for street walking (3 ft)
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 (carpet mill, 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). Join Pit Bull discussion fora and see what people's experiences have been with different toys.

Those of us who take our responsibility of owning a Pit Bull seriously know that you can never be sure that your dog won't get into a fight with another dog. This is genetics. With proper training and good control of your dog, you can minimize "accidents." Still, just to cover your obligation to be prepared for all the contingencies of which you are aware, get a break stick. There are many sites that sell them, or you can look up one of the how-to sites and make one yourself. I hope none of us will ever need one, but if your Pit Bull gets hold of another dog, you need to know how to use a break stick. You also need to have practiced breaking up an impromptu dog fight. Below is a link where you can get a good education and buy a good quality break stick. Personally, I would never buy plastic. Mine are nice, slick, tough birch. I have never had to pull one out of my pocket yet, but I never walk with the dog without one. Better safe than sorry.
http://www.pbrc.net/breaksticks.html

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 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. If the temperature outside is cold, the rule of thumb shouId be simple.: don't leave the dog outside longer than it's comfortable for you in a shirt. Dogs will overheat in hot weather 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 full time 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 dogs are adults, they get fed once a day. Food is not available to them at any other times, although some edible chews and toys are offered as special treats for a job well done or to ease ennui. They seem to like to huge beef bones from Publix. Cooked bones are not a good idea...they splinter and can perforate a dogs bowels or stomach.

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. 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 bullies play beautifully with a nice, large, secure dog. It’s a pleasure to watch them play. I have taken my first bully 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 use systematic desensitization to get the dogs used to other dogs and cats. There is not much I can do about their prey instinct – they will give chase to any furry fast moving creature. I suppose I could work on that, too, but I rather put our time and energy in a different direction. Besides, I haven't seen a Pit Bull catch 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. My Pity Bulls work simply for “Good boy (girl).” That’s all. No treats, no whistles, no clackers, no shock collars (ugh!!). “No” for undesired behaviors, “Good boy/girl” for what I want from them. “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 their spirit or their personalities. 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 me. We have powerful, energetic, calm, and obedient dogs who make us laugh, smile with joy, and are pleased with their companionship. Mind you, the dogs have to “earn” everything. They have to sit while I get and prepare the food. They have to wait patiently for me to invite them on the bed or the couch. They have to lie down after they have eaten and while I am making food for myself. A have a manual for the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) exam. My bullies 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 know is hard to neuter or spay a pure-bred beautiful APBT with good temper. But, please neuter/spay as soon as soon as it's 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. My dogs are never more than a few feet from one of the humans in the house. When friends come over, we love to show off our dogs. We have yet to find a single person who met our dogs who doesn’t think that they are the most wonderful dogs they have ever met.