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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Should Pit Bulls be forced to be extinct?
Read this article.
Regardless of how they are raised, do you think they are just prone to "snap" and is it worth the risk??
WDYT?
Re: Should Pit Bulls be forced to be extinct?
They are not prone to snap. You are more likely to be bitten by a cocker spaniel then a pt bull.
The people who fight dogs should be forced to be extinct.
Anyone who has any fear of pitties, I invite you over to meet my c.g.c., therapy-dog certified Gracie. Yeah is may only be part pittie, but the invitation stands.
I may not come back in this post, I like a lot of you and I may have a hard time keeping and open mind to others opinions on this.
Also here is a link about the myths of pit bulls.
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/myths.html
If anyone can honestly say they think they should be "extinct" please at least read all sides.
I agree with the posts above. And love the idea of making the owners who fight them extinct.
A friend of mine breeds top of the line pitties and they have been nothing but wonderful around me. He also has two children who they adore. I've never experienced a mean pit.
This.
LOL! this is an argument currently going on my radio station so was wondering what your thoughts are. Reading that article and having two chihuahuas does scare me a little though...
I agree with everyone else. Z is probably part pit, and I've never had a dog who is so delicate and gentle around kids. I do think, though, that there are breeds that certain types of owners should never get.
If you're not willing to learn and consistently train a dog, don't get a high energy or stubborn breed. Dogs get blamed as being "bad" because they aren't exercised or trained enough. (And, people who abuse animals make me sick... I'm thinking particularly of that monster who chopped the pit puppy's ears off in Allegan. Ugh.)
I know 2 people with pitties and they are such sweet little babies! So snuggly and even when I'm down on the ground wrestling with them, they never show any aggression.
Last updated 4/06/11
There are other animals (including humans) who "snap" and get agressive and harm others. Just based on the general statement...all animals and humans should be forced to become extinct. I just think it comes down to understanding the risks that may come with owning any type of pet or interacting with any type of animal.
I am obviously in the minority here, but the breed makes me uneasy and I personally wish that they did not exist.
That said, I acknowledge that they DO exist, and that society has come to view them as pets. That being the reality, I would like to see strict regulations put into place regarding who can own pit bulls - much the same way that guide dog trainers are selected. There should be home studies, classes, a review of the home and neighborhood where the dog will be living, etc., so that these dogs don't go to irresponsible pet owners. I know this will probably never happen, but in a perfect world I think it should.
(By the way, I have not read any of the articles linked here due to lack of time, so this is my opinion and my opinion only.)
I can see both sides of the issue. Do I think that all pits are bad? Nope. Would I want one living next door to my precious baby girl? Nope. I wouldn't want any aggressive dog living near me, either. I know a lot of the issue with pits is that people get them so they are mean. My biggest beef is the fact that they are bred to be guard dogs. Their protector instinct is strong. There are some things you can't train out of a dog. My dog, a corgi, is bred to herd cattle. No matter what we do (and we've been through obedience classes and she's passed with flying colors---class favorite, even), she herds people. That's her job. That's her nature.
To be fair, I don't want any aggressive dog near me. We had a Yorkie try to attack my friends 1 year old on our walk this morning. That dog should be extinct, too. I don't think it's the breed, but the dog. Unfortunately, you can't tell whether or not a dog is "bad" until something happens.
I have a hard time justifying a forced extinction of any animal.
Well, maybe roaches - those things freak me out.
People need to be aware of the type of animal they take on as pets, and properly work with them.
I'm too tired to finish the rest of my train of thought, but no, pit bulls shouldn't be forced extinct.
I'm from Ontario, Canada and I don't know how I feel about this topic because 1. in Ontario you cannot breed Pitbulls because of a law passed (the purpose is to make them extinct in the province) and 2. I worked at a Vet hospital in Ontario for a number of years and heard a lot of noise on both sides of the issue.
I personally had the experience of holding one while it was euthanized because it "snapped" and it was a heart-wrenching experience. The dog was so sweet toward me and the doctor, but earlier in the day it snapped and tore a sheep (owners lived in the country beside a sheep farm) to shreds and the owners were unable to stop it. Heaven forbid that would have been a person.
So I wouldn't miss pitbulls if they went extinct, but I could possibly be persuaded to the other side of this debate if I heard a good argument (which consists of more than "I know a pitbull that is so nice!" No offense but I don't find that very compelling.)
TTC September 2010 thru October 2011
SA February 2011: Normal
RE App. October 2011 - Recc. Clomid and IUI
Taking a break from TTC to pursue adoption
Met our 2 year old son in Russia July 2012!
Court trip October 2012
Home November 24 2012!
adoption blog: addingaburden.com
Honestly your side of "this one time" vet incident isn't any different than someone saying "I know a pitbull that is so nice". Have you personally had any bad experiences with the breed? Did you know how the dog at the vet office was bred? Did you know the owners? Do you know what kind of trianing they excercised with the dog? Have you come accross any well behaved pitbulls? And a dog attacking a sheep is a little different than a dog attacking a human to me. There are probably a hundred different times when a dog attached another animal that was not a pitbull, those stories just don't get the attention.
I have known numerous pitbulls that are very well behaved, and handled properly, not an "I know one that is so nice" thing. I personally have never come across an aggressive pitbull. Are there aggressive pitbulls out there? Yes, there are. There are also a lot of other aggressive dogs out there, some that you wouldn't think are aggressive. I have come across some pretty aggressive chihuahuas and miniature pinschers. I don't think those breeds should be extinct.
When handled and trained properly any dog can be a good dog.
I don't think any dog deserves a death sentence just because of its breed. And unfortunately in areas (here in the US, I cannot speak for Canada) that have passed BSL, that is what is happening. The fact that I cannot live in certain areas of the country b/c I cannot prove the lineage of my dog is bs. And if I live in one of those areas, they have the right to confiscate my dog (who has done nothing wrong) or even kill her on my property?
That story Tigers posted is horrible. And the absolute worse part was it could have been prevented.
Tigers if you are honestly scared for your dogs, I would always keep them leashed or in a fenced yard, never alone. And when out you can carry mace or a dog deterrent (I think one is called dog stop, but I am not sure). This is what I do, I don't even have a major "fear" of Grace ever being attacked.
How do we fix the problem without hurting innocent dogs? Again I believe that majority of Pits are not the problem. If only there was a a way to prevent idiots from owning dogs.
Honestly, I just posted this to get a discussion going because the discussion was so good on my radio station. I don't fear for my dogs' lives on a daily basis becz of pitbulls at all. I will say that the story did hit a nerve with me because I do have small dogs but I will forget about it in a couple days and go about my business.
In reading this, it is sounding just like the gun controversey - you have to trust the owner to be responsible. Same thing with driving. You have to trust the owner of the car that they will drive responsibly. Like many people, I do have a hard time doing that but it's not like I'm going to lock my family in a closet to "stay safe".
I totally agree. There are risks in everything. Unfortunately, the idiots are the only ones to make the news. No one reports that a pit bull took a walk and let a small child pet her or a gun owner safely completed target practice. I think the way news is reported continues to perpetuate fear.
I wasn't using that story to argue one way, just to explain why it is hard for me to know where to stand on the issue. That's why I started by saying, "I don't know how I feel about this topic." Not using it as proof, just an anecdote to explain my confusion.
TTC September 2010 thru October 2011
SA February 2011: Normal
RE App. October 2011 - Recc. Clomid and IUI
Taking a break from TTC to pursue adoption
Met our 2 year old son in Russia July 2012!
Court trip October 2012
Home November 24 2012!
adoption blog: addingaburden.com
Ditto. People fight with guns. Dogs use their mouths.
I've grown up with animals. Lots of them. I found my chickens to attack more than my pit/rot mix.