@Otterpaw:
I'm not sure how the "nanny dog" myth came about, but referring to a breed as something they are not is equally as damaging, if not more so, than the negative stereotype the media has created.
I do know that the "nanny dog" term has been used for various unrelated breeds, and is recent - not to mention that it's quite a frightening concept for a dog owner to hear.
It is not safe to leave any dog, of any breed, alone with children.
Children, especially young children, are notoriously heavy-handed, active, and loud around animals. Leaving a child alone with a dog, even if the dog is relatively patient, is a recipe for disaster. A child is unable to read a dog's body language, and as dogs are silent communicators, warning signs that the dog is uncomfortable often go unnoticed until the dog is pushed to the point where it feels the need to defend itself.
That history is also incorrect. Pit bulls were never used as farm dogs.
The history of the pit bull is not glamorous, and not "kind" , but it is important to respect where these dogs came from, in order to understand the breed as a whole. It is damaging to paint a breed as something they are not, as people will incorrectly assume that they don't need to train or socialize their dog, or that their dog will be bomb-proof with little effort on their part.
The American Pit Bull Terrier derives from the (now extinct) bull-and-terrier, which originated in the United Kingdom as a cross between various (also extinct) bulldog and terrier types , for the purpose of dog fighting. The original bulldog type was used for bull-baiting, but after that was outlawed, the bull-and-terrier was utilized for the "new" blood-sport of dog fighting.
These dogs were bred for their gameness and willingness to please. As dogs in the heat of the fight needed to be safely removed by their handlers, any dogs that would redirect onto the men that handled them were culled. Pit bulls quickly earned a reputation as being exceptionally malleable and people-safe; any other breed will bite at anything that moves during a fight, but pit bulls, coming from bulldogs, were bred to "catch and hold", keeping their grip on their quarry until the handler would extricate them or until the other dog disengaged.
Dog aggression is inherent in the breed. The original fighting dogs were not "abused" to fight, but put in the ring, amped up, and let go.
While many pit bulls are "cold" and will only exhibit reactive activity if pressed, there are lines that are more "game", and many pit bulls do exhibit some form of reactivity at some point.
It is a disservice to the breed to ignore where they came from , and what they are, as it commonly results in these dogs being owned by well-meaning people who assume that they're like a Lab or a Poodle.
Pit bulls are wonderful dogs - in the right hand. They are eager to please, yes, but can be stubborn and single minded, high-drive, with the mind of a working dog. Their heritage also includes terriers, and most people can attest to the tenacity and drive of a terrier. Pit bulls are a wonderful mix of the bulldog and the terrier, and can and will show traits of both.
They're not for an owner who wants an easy dog. They're not like the happy-go-lucky Labrador, or the one-track-mind of a coonhound.
Myself, and many pit bull aficionados, would not want it any other way.
I would not say that there aren't any aggressive pit bulls. Just as I would not say that there aren't any aggressive Retrievers. There's no one breed that is inherently aggressive.
Pit bulls are unfortunate to be the latest victim of the "aggressive dog" stereotype, but that is not the only reason why this breed is in so much trouble. People who sugarcoat the breed's history and treat them as something they aren't, and then act surprised when this dog that needs an outlet, needs a form of athletic activity, acts up and displays behavioral problems. Pit bulls do notoriously poorly in animal shelters because of the stress and over-stimulation of being constantly caged with little to no outlet for their energy to go toward.
Here are some nice sites about the pit bull, and other bull-types:
http://www.workingpitbull.com/aboutpits.htm
http://www.badrap.org/breed-history
http://www.badrap.org/monster-myths
Now, the American Bully - a relatively new outcrossing of the APBT and Am. Staffordshire Terrier - is a lot less "hot" as far as dog reactivity goes. Bullies typically have much less drive, though there are dog reactive Am. Bullies out there, just less.
This link is related to the original post, about the irony of the APBT being banned in the UK.
http://www.workingpitbull.com/UK.htm
I'm not sure how the "nanny dog" myth came about, but referring to a breed as something they are not is equally as damaging, if not more so, than the negative stereotype the media has created.
I do know that the "nanny dog" term has been used for various unrelated breeds, and is recent - not to mention that it's quite a frightening concept for a dog owner to hear.
It is not safe to leave any dog, of any breed, alone with children.
Children, especially young children, are notoriously heavy-handed, active, and loud around animals. Leaving a child alone with a dog, even if the dog is relatively patient, is a recipe for disaster. A child is unable to read a dog's body language, and as dogs are silent communicators, warning signs that the dog is uncomfortable often go unnoticed until the dog is pushed to the point where it feels the need to defend itself.
That history is also incorrect. Pit bulls were never used as farm dogs.
The history of the pit bull is not glamorous, and not "kind" , but it is important to respect where these dogs came from, in order to understand the breed as a whole. It is damaging to paint a breed as something they are not, as people will incorrectly assume that they don't need to train or socialize their dog, or that their dog will be bomb-proof with little effort on their part.
The American Pit Bull Terrier derives from the (now extinct) bull-and-terrier, which originated in the United Kingdom as a cross between various (also extinct) bulldog and terrier types , for the purpose of dog fighting. The original bulldog type was used for bull-baiting, but after that was outlawed, the bull-and-terrier was utilized for the "new" blood-sport of dog fighting.
These dogs were bred for their gameness and willingness to please. As dogs in the heat of the fight needed to be safely removed by their handlers, any dogs that would redirect onto the men that handled them were culled. Pit bulls quickly earned a reputation as being exceptionally malleable and people-safe; any other breed will bite at anything that moves during a fight, but pit bulls, coming from bulldogs, were bred to "catch and hold", keeping their grip on their quarry until the handler would extricate them or until the other dog disengaged.
Dog aggression is inherent in the breed. The original fighting dogs were not "abused" to fight, but put in the ring, amped up, and let go.
While many pit bulls are "cold" and will only exhibit reactive activity if pressed, there are lines that are more "game", and many pit bulls do exhibit some form of reactivity at some point.
It is a disservice to the breed to ignore where they came from , and what they are, as it commonly results in these dogs being owned by well-meaning people who assume that they're like a Lab or a Poodle.
Pit bulls are wonderful dogs - in the right hand. They are eager to please, yes, but can be stubborn and single minded, high-drive, with the mind of a working dog. Their heritage also includes terriers, and most people can attest to the tenacity and drive of a terrier. Pit bulls are a wonderful mix of the bulldog and the terrier, and can and will show traits of both.
They're not for an owner who wants an easy dog. They're not like the happy-go-lucky Labrador, or the one-track-mind of a coonhound.
Myself, and many pit bull aficionados, would not want it any other way.
I would not say that there aren't any aggressive pit bulls. Just as I would not say that there aren't any aggressive Retrievers. There's no one breed that is inherently aggressive.
Pit bulls are unfortunate to be the latest victim of the "aggressive dog" stereotype, but that is not the only reason why this breed is in so much trouble. People who sugarcoat the breed's history and treat them as something they aren't, and then act surprised when this dog that needs an outlet, needs a form of athletic activity, acts up and displays behavioral problems. Pit bulls do notoriously poorly in animal shelters because of the stress and over-stimulation of being constantly caged with little to no outlet for their energy to go toward.
Here are some nice sites about the pit bull, and other bull-types:
http://www.workingpitbull.com/aboutpits.htm
http://www.badrap.org/breed-history
http://www.badrap.org/monster-myths
Now, the American Bully - a relatively new outcrossing of the APBT and Am. Staffordshire Terrier - is a lot less "hot" as far as dog reactivity goes. Bullies typically have much less drive, though there are dog reactive Am. Bullies out there, just less.
This link is related to the original post, about the irony of the APBT being banned in the UK.
http://www.workingpitbull.com/UK.htm
I wanted to share a picture of our pitbull/husky before, but didn't have the right one until now:
I've never seen this pit mix hurt anything, not even on accident. I swear... last week she was following a bug across the living room, I got up to squash it, but after I did she started whining & definitely gave me a hard time over this little beetle :[
She is the first pit I've ever had, but the most gentle dog I've ever known {& my ma used to own a kennel!}.
I've never seen this pit mix hurt anything, not even on accident. I swear... last week she was following a bug across the living room, I got up to squash it, but after I did she started whining & definitely gave me a hard time over this little beetle :[
She is the first pit I've ever had, but the most gentle dog I've ever known {& my ma used to own a kennel!}.
AHHH THEY'RE SO CUTE TOGETHER!
She's a beautiful dog. I can tell by looking at her that she's an absolute sweetheart.
.
She's a beautiful dog. I can tell by looking at her that she's an absolute sweetheart.
.
@ Masha: What.
Masha wrote:
I want this as a poster.
Or a t-shirt.
That's hilarious. I can't say which one made me laugh harder.
.
Table Saws. Just saying.
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