Oh my. If anyone hasn't noticed I've been offline awhile because I was up visiting my aunt helping her get her two young horses started with ground training. The trip was pleasant except for one thing. I had first hand experience with a pit bull hater two days ago. This pit bull hater was not who I thought he'd be. He was my uncle!
Now let's get the facts straight. My uncle loves dogs. He owns four (a Maltese cross, a cocker spaniel/poodle cross, a small mutt and a giant Black Lab cross). One of them he took in from a neglectful home, one he adopted from the pound, one my aunt bought long ago and one they bought from a pet store. He's not the most knowledgeable dog owner but he treats all his dogs well and there are always a few doggy visitors over at his house. All four of them sleep with him and my aunt and are enjoying farm life with the 8 cats, 3 horses and God knows how many birds. So needless to say these dogs live pretty well. My uncle is a nice guy. We were sitting watching the news when the whole pit bull argument came about.
A group of pit bulls attacked a lady. The story was on the news. Being me I tossed in a comment about how they had to chuck in the world pit bull. They couldn't have just said dog attack. No. They had to bring in the title pit bull. The attack was nasty but had that been a group of collies they more than likely would have just said "pack of dog attacks lady" not "KILLER COLLIES ATTACK WOMAN!" This is where it all started.
He started going off on how pit bulls have lock jaw, how they are bred to be mean, and how they flip because that is just in their nature. They are aggressive dogs and that is that. Debating with him was like debating a brick wall. I explain how pit bulls aren't even one breed, how dogs are a product of both breeding and their environment, and any dog of any breed could attack someone if it was loose, good family dog or not. I tried explaining how where I live I have never met any stray or aggressive pit bulls (there is an aggressive hound and rotti who run wild but no pit bull type dogs).
What do you say to people when they are so hard headed? How can you educate someone who isn't willing to listen to what you have to say? How can you prove you're right if they are so convinced you are wrong? I know bully breed have attacked people but so has every breed of dog.
I wasn't angry with him but my opinion of him did change. Sitting there with his big black lab all I could think of is what if Mak got loose? This dog has never left their 5 acre fenced in farm. He has never been away from home. My uncle would defend that dog's life till his own death if Mak bit someone. Sure Mak isn't aggressive but if we applied my uncle's logic to his dog Mak could turn into a killer within a second. Just because he is a big huge black dog doesn't make him evil. Yes he could turn on anyone at any given time but in the mean time do you consider him a bad dog? Think of him as a terrible being that needs to be put to sleep? I've been bit by a black lab before. By no means did I judge his dog by my experience.
So why I ask is everyone so hard headed and set in their ways? If you don't want to own a pit bull type dog that is fine. I personally don't want to own one either (well, in the future yes but not any time soon) but if all you ever look at is the negative you'll never see the positive. When I hear the word pit bull I think of the two I grew up with. The one was nasty and we weren't aloud around her because the adults wanted us all in one piece at the end of the day but the other played with us in the yard, licked our faces, and cuddled up with all of us kids under the tree for our afternoon nap. Charlie was probably the most amazing dog I have ever met. Now old and grey she still is as wonderful as ever.
This is a bit of a rant I guess. I just wanted to post it somewhere where people would understand what I am talking about.
Now let's get the facts straight. My uncle loves dogs. He owns four (a Maltese cross, a cocker spaniel/poodle cross, a small mutt and a giant Black Lab cross). One of them he took in from a neglectful home, one he adopted from the pound, one my aunt bought long ago and one they bought from a pet store. He's not the most knowledgeable dog owner but he treats all his dogs well and there are always a few doggy visitors over at his house. All four of them sleep with him and my aunt and are enjoying farm life with the 8 cats, 3 horses and God knows how many birds. So needless to say these dogs live pretty well. My uncle is a nice guy. We were sitting watching the news when the whole pit bull argument came about.
A group of pit bulls attacked a lady. The story was on the news. Being me I tossed in a comment about how they had to chuck in the world pit bull. They couldn't have just said dog attack. No. They had to bring in the title pit bull. The attack was nasty but had that been a group of collies they more than likely would have just said "pack of dog attacks lady" not "KILLER COLLIES ATTACK WOMAN!" This is where it all started.
He started going off on how pit bulls have lock jaw, how they are bred to be mean, and how they flip because that is just in their nature. They are aggressive dogs and that is that. Debating with him was like debating a brick wall. I explain how pit bulls aren't even one breed, how dogs are a product of both breeding and their environment, and any dog of any breed could attack someone if it was loose, good family dog or not. I tried explaining how where I live I have never met any stray or aggressive pit bulls (there is an aggressive hound and rotti who run wild but no pit bull type dogs).
What do you say to people when they are so hard headed? How can you educate someone who isn't willing to listen to what you have to say? How can you prove you're right if they are so convinced you are wrong? I know bully breed have attacked people but so has every breed of dog.
I wasn't angry with him but my opinion of him did change. Sitting there with his big black lab all I could think of is what if Mak got loose? This dog has never left their 5 acre fenced in farm. He has never been away from home. My uncle would defend that dog's life till his own death if Mak bit someone. Sure Mak isn't aggressive but if we applied my uncle's logic to his dog Mak could turn into a killer within a second. Just because he is a big huge black dog doesn't make him evil. Yes he could turn on anyone at any given time but in the mean time do you consider him a bad dog? Think of him as a terrible being that needs to be put to sleep? I've been bit by a black lab before. By no means did I judge his dog by my experience.
So why I ask is everyone so hard headed and set in their ways? If you don't want to own a pit bull type dog that is fine. I personally don't want to own one either (well, in the future yes but not any time soon) but if all you ever look at is the negative you'll never see the positive. When I hear the word pit bull I think of the two I grew up with. The one was nasty and we weren't aloud around her because the adults wanted us all in one piece at the end of the day but the other played with us in the yard, licked our faces, and cuddled up with all of us kids under the tree for our afternoon nap. Charlie was probably the most amazing dog I have ever met. Now old and grey she still is as wonderful as ever.
This is a bit of a rant I guess. I just wanted to post it somewhere where people would understand what I am talking about.
