My wife and I just got back from visiting our two local animal shelters. We went to them in search of a companion dog for our goofy golden. It was disturbing to see how many pitbull/pitbull mix dogs were in those shelters. Most were OGU's. ...

I know there are PB (Strafordshire Terriers- sp? ) owners on here and this thread is not directed at insulting that breed of dog. I think people are getting scared to own these dogs, because of the percieved personal liability they present to the owner. ...

If I am wrong I apologize, but rather than starting a flame war and getting this thread closed, lets find out why the shelters have so many PB's in them as OGU's. It is always sad to see the dogs in cages with no homes, regardless of the breed of dog.

 

I think that the majority of people that own a Pit Bull are responsible owners, but then there are the few that get all the bad attention. If they were good owners, the dog wouldn't be in the shelter. If you train a dog to be agressive, it's gonna be. The surest way of doing that in my opinion is just letting nature raise the dog and just standing by to see what kind of dog you "end up" with.

But if you raise the dog lovingly and work with it and teach it to be good and gentle, it won't suddenly decide to go bad unless provoked. The majority of stories I've read about involving Pit Bull attacks were about owners that left the dog chained up in the yard in cold and heat with just a stick for entertainment. Sure, they gave them food and water, but they didn't give the dog what it truly strives for, human effection. So when the dog gets loose, it doesn't know how to interact with people in a positive way and someone gets maimed. To some people, a Pit Bull is a status symbol rather then a pet. If you can say you have a P.B. and get the "oh man, that's cool" reaction, all the better.

So it isn't the dog that's to blame, it's the owners. The same thing happens to a child that's treated the same way. Neglect them and let them run ***** nilly, and you get someone that acts like a thug when they "get loose".

 

Great post Hoss, tried to rep ya but was told to spread it...


You have spoken the truth about what is happening to this breed most likely. There is something going on to have these dogs harming so many people. ...

If this indeed what is happening, what is it about the breed that promotes isolating them ? Are you saying people get a PB with the intent to chain it up in isolation, just to make it mean and unsociable? Would that be the proper training methods of a dog to make it a responsible guard dog ? I would think not....

It is folding out to look like the breed is being exploited by idiot dog owners to capitalize on the dogs perpencity to attack and hold, and the dogs are the ones paying the price for their own tenacity... jmo

 

My wife and I just got back from visiting our two local animal shelters. We went to them in search of a companion dog for our goofy golden. It was disturbing to see how many pitbull/pitbull mix dogs were in those shelters. Most were OGU's. ...
what is OGU i never heard of this

 

Sorry,Oops I see now I didnt type it out. , Owner Give Ups.

 

Its sad to see a breed of dog done like the pitbull. I had a Stafford terrier that was as gentle as any dog I ever owned. He thought he was a lapdog & acted the part. He never attacked other dogs or people. Its the image the dog fighters & cruel owners have started that has done this breed of dog in. I think the huge number of OGU is caused by owners trying to make the pits mean & getting more than they expected. The breed is extremely strong & can do real damage if they do attack. My grandfather had 2 pits that were trained to work cattle. I've seen them bring a full grown bull down by grabbing his nose & flipping him.

 

The animal shelters are full of Pit Bulls here...it's sad to walk thru the aisles and see so many downcast faces. It's also sad to know that most if not all will be euthanized.

 

I think that when some people get a new Pit Bull puppy, it's all good as far as intentions go, but then they learn that a puppy needs attention and training and most of all, love. Then, the first time the dog piddles on the floor, it can irritate the owner to no end. So they hit the dog and out it goes to spend it's life. Some folks aren't patient enough to teach a dog or accept the fact that a dog will piddle on the floor or chew on things and it irks them. Those folks should not have any pets because they are too much into their own lives to allow for another living thing. I've seen this happen over and over again.

I have a friend who had his house broken into. He bought a Pit Bull just so he could train it to attack intruders. I asked him how a dog can tell the difference between an intruder and one of his 3 kids if the dog has no interaction with the family and his response was, "well, if it hurts one of my kids, I'll shoot it". A Pit Bull is expendable to a lot of folks out there and it's sad to see a dog's life wasted and reduced to "property" rather then a family member.

 

The most abused breed of dog in America (particularly in the ghettos).......

Worked a shooting case today (boyfriend shot at his girlfriend.....4 young children in the home at the time........nobody works for a living......he's on the way up on beaucoup charges)......Female pit bull in the back yard. Tethered to the back porch.....muddy, spotty-grass, garbage all over the place, and dog-crap covered back yard with an old rusted hulk of a Cadillac in the back. It's obvious this dog's whole life consists of being tethered on a 12' chain.....having a water dish filled, and having food thrown at her every now and again. Because of the rep of the PB, one officer was afraid to go out back (Jesus!......but then again, a LITTLE understandable)........Me and another officer went out there.....the damned dog was so starved for attention, practically jumped all over us and licked us to death when we petted her......Was wagging her tail when we just looked out back at first......Good dog in a HORRIBLE environment....It was obvious that no one in the house or friends of the household gave two s--ts about the dog or taking care of the dog.

This is a COMMON OCCURRENCE in Charlotte. Dogs are treated bad and bred to fight, or kept alive (the females) and bred for pups.........No wonder they go "shell" and end up biting and/or maiming someone. It's a disgrace.

 

My best friend has an absolutely beautiful white pitbull who is the sweetest dog I have ever met. He's about 2 years old, and has a chiuaua as a playmate. This dog doesnt have a mean hair on his body. He loves to crawl on your lap and be petted...and he will lick you to death too!

 

Rottys are in the same boat. The shame of the matter is that most home ins companies will not give you a policy if you have a "dangerous breed". When I take my rotty out on the local bike trail I always put him in a down stay when we encounter someone because people are so afraid of him due to the breed and their ignorance. Years ago, my wife and our neighbor took the dogs for a walk. A lab mix came out of a yard and attacked my neighbors dog and bit my neighbor on the leg. Ramius, our Rotty, grabbed the dog by the neck and pinned him down. The dogs owner came out cursing and beating my dog to let go. He released and walked away. I was at work at the time so my wife called me freaking out. I had a K-9 officer friend in the office and listened to the story as in unfolded. He made two points. Ramuis didn't kill the other dog, didn't even break the skin. He didn't attack the other owner when he was hitting him, he just walked away. It amazes me just how intelligent these dogs are. My old boy just turned 10, December 7th. He likes to spend his day in front of the woodstove and muzzles me when I vacuum. He likes to be vacuumed. Having said all that, I will add this. No matter how much a family member your dog is, he is still a dog. It is difficult to change thousands of years of instinct. It requires constant vigilance in every situation. These breeds are not for the faint hearted or casual owner.

 

too many people in today's society view animals as either replaceable or as a posession rather than a "member" of the family!



Jim

 

Great posts guys,


To make an analogy here, a person will spend hours on the internet, talk for hours to a salesman to make a informed decision before they buy a truck or clothes dryer. Both of which are inanimate objects that do not feel the physical pain of beatings , starvation, or the depression caused from alienation of affection ...

Yet these same people have the tendency to buy or adopt a pup because it is cute or popular. They take the life of the dog in their hands , without ever doing the research it takes to understand the responsibility that goes with owning that breed of dog.

I do not know what it is going to take to get people informed about this problem. I see some cities are now implementing "vicious dog" ordnances and requiring special permits for ownership of these breeds that have the "reputation".

 

in the 40s i remember a guy in berkeley,ca that trained dogs to be mean.that's what he did for a living.he would dress in thick leather and taunt the dog to bite him.he would feed the dog and then take the food away from the dog,thus cultivating aggression.
it didnt matter what breed it was.

 

And THAT'S what needs to be said and understood folks.........Dogs need to be treated as a member of the family.......Good one