I have boarded Smokey a couple of times in Atlanta due to some overnight trips and in almost every boarding facility that I called that was one of the more highly recommended ones by other dog owners, they always stated right up front that they don't accept Pit Bulls. Now several of these facilities are owned by professional dog trainers.. So why are they banning this breed in the facility. When I called my National and well known Insurance Company to inquire if Smokey had to be listed in my home owners policy when I adopted her , they said only if she was a Pit Bull and there would be an addtional charge. Now are all these people and businesses crazy, that are setting up these rules and regulations?
As I said before, I am sure that many Pit Bulls are great dogs and make great pets. But there are a number of these dogs that for one reason or another that are very bad news and sooner or later something bad happens. So many times on this thread I read comments like , "oh that's because they are poorly trained and it's the owners fault".. OK, agreed, now what does anyone suggest in this long, long thread to solve the problem. I haven't read one practical suggestion yet. Tons of Rants on a TV talk show host and how it's all her fault, claims that it is the press that is making up or reporting inaccurate stories, or a host of other reasons why what is apparently happening isn't really happening.......But nobody is addressing the real issue.
So what is probably going to be the result of all this , I would suppose banning this breed inmore and more communities. There are more than a few cities that have already done that or are in the process of doing it. What else can the city officals do when the public complains? Anyone here have any good suggestions to solve the problem? I haven't read one yet
As I said before, I am sure that many Pit Bulls are great dogs and make great pets. But there are a number of these dogs that for one reason or another that are very bad news and sooner or later something bad happens. So many times on this thread I read comments like , "oh that's because they are poorly trained and it's the owners fault".. OK, agreed, now what does anyone suggest in this long, long thread to solve the problem. I haven't read one practical suggestion yet. Tons of Rants on a TV talk show host and how it's all her fault, claims that it is the press that is making up or reporting inaccurate stories, or a host of other reasons why what is apparently happening isn't really happening.......But nobody is addressing the real issue.
So what is probably going to be the result of all this , I would suppose banning this breed inmore and more communities. There are more than a few cities that have already done that or are in the process of doing it. What else can the city officals do when the public complains? Anyone here have any good suggestions to solve the problem? I haven't read one yet
-You say you're sure that many Pits are great pets, just that a number of them are bad. That goes for any and all breeds. Even mixed breeds. No dog is immune to being able to attack or show aggression. It's not natural, at all. Just because a dog never exhibits this behaviour doesn't mean it was completely incapable of doing so.
There are many ways to get around breed bans, but that doesn't mean that anyone has tried them. The people who ban these breeds are extremely hard-headed, and refuse to listen, 90% of the time. There are a number of cities going back and re-thinking their breed bans or revising them in favour of the owners, as a matter of fact. Many places that ban these breeds also ban mixes that appear to be crossed with them. That means, that if your dog resembles any banned breed in one of these places, that it can be seized from you. It's been done plenty of times.
So what can we do, instead of banning the breeds? Lots, actually...but are you willing to contribute your share of trying to get them stopped? If not, then don't bother reading into them at all.
1) City officials need to crack down on owners who do not follow leash laws. They need to make better containment laws. Many people tie their dogs out in an un-fences yard, but these dogs break their chains and run freely (any strong DOG can do this). Better containment laws that are enforced can help prevent this all-together.
2) Come down HARDER on those who fight dogs, or sell dogs to be fought. These people are the scum of the earth, they don't deserve to get such loose punishments that don't even teach them a lesson. And instead of just saying they can never own a dog again, officials can actually make sure that they don't. Many of these people are only dealt with for a short period of time, told something to do, then never looked up on again until a problem arises, and that's not how you deal with people like this.
3) We can make harsher penalties for animal abuse. MANY dogs are fear biters. I've been bitten by a fear biter myself, going over a dog that has been abused the wrong way can make them extremely uncomfortable and they can attack. And the people who did this to them get off almost scott-free in some cases, even ones where the evidence is extremely heavy. It's not fair to the animals, and it's not fair to the people who take these dogs in afterwards.
4) Make it harder for people to become breeders! It should be required to do temperament testing if you're going to breed and sell your dogs. These people should have to send puppies to new homes with enforced contracts. There should not be any wiggle-room for people who do not want to follow the breeder's wishes. There shouldn't be any breeder allowed to breed and sell puppies from human aggressive parents. There should be more spay/neuter policies, because the fact of the matter is that not everyone is 100% responsible, and though these should be the only people who own dogs, nobody can be sure of who they are, so their dogs need to be altered to prevent unwanted puppies, and puppies who could have behavioural problems passed onto them.
5) Cities could provide better training and socialization classes. It's no secret that Petsmart is not the best place to have your dog trained, but professional trainers are often extremely expensive. Make it easier and more available to dog owners to get into these classes. Help encourage responsible ownership this way, instead of just expecting people to know the ins and outs of socialization and training, both of which can be difficult for a new dog owner, or novice dog owner, sometimes even experienced dog owners.
6) Learn how to talk to officials. Instead of arguing with people who want to ban these breeds, talk to them like you would anyone else in a civil tone. Give them the facts about the breed. Don't throw useless information at them.
These ideas are nothing new, but people higher up who don't like these breeds often refuse to listen many times. It's when the PEOPLE won't listen that's the biggest problem, because people have a bigger voice in larger numbers. Being hard-headed doesn't get anyone anywhere.