Originally Posted By ecdc >>You mean like celebs (and other people) that drive around with their dog sitting in their lap, or throw a fit if their poodle can't eat at a restaurant? The ones that spend more on their dogs then most people make in one year? The ones that get mad if guests want to sit down on the sofa?<< Boy do I ever! Don't get me started. My little boy walked outside of a restaurant with me onto a sidewalk in a resort town here in Utah. Some idiot (yes, I said it - IDIOT) thought it would be appropriate to leave their pet cross-between-a-dog-and-a-horse chained to a lamp post on the sidewalk. He's a little nervous as it is and doesn't like going up to animals. This one started barking and jumping at him - scared him to death. I was furious, lost my temper, and yelled out some choice words (then felt bad for doing it in front of my boy). I'm glad you like your dog, but it isn't my job to put up with him too. Keep your animal on a leash in your hands; if your dog jumps all over me, don't act like I'm the problem if I push it off or don't like it. And must you take your pet everywhere you go? Do I really need a dog barking at me from the car over when I come out of the post office/ video store/ grocery store/ library/ etc? Sorry, I'm not great with animals or a big animal lover, so don't treat me like it's my job to be one.
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy I'm an animal-lover, but do get *greatly* annoyed at constant-barkers.
Originally Posted By knightnfrees <<I'm an animal-lover, but do get *greatly* annoyed at constant-barkers.>> Good thing he's retiring from The Price is Right, then. He shore won't annoy you anymore. ;p
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy lol ;-P Right now I'm waitin' to see the cousin of this thread in Play Pen: "What's With People and Their Pit Stains?" ;-)
Originally Posted By DVC_dad I am an absolute dog lover, no question! But I never lose sight of the fact that ... oh mah gawd! It's a DOG! Humans first, dogs second.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice I haven't had any up close and personal contact with Pit Bulls, but just yesterday I was driving home from work and took my usual shortcut through a neighborhood a few blocks from my office. As I approached a corner Stop sign, I stopped, looked to my right and saw no cars, but DID see two manically-behaving/barking/pacing Pits who appeared to have a very strong desire to break through the short chain-link fence of their yard... and rip my car to shreds. I've been around dogs all my life and have seen them act aggressively when someone WALKS by a similar yard, but this just left me shaking my head to dumbstruck awe. Our "boys" enjoy a good bark, but there are so very gentle-natured (Brittany Spaniel and Pointer-mix). I can't imagine anyone wanting such a violently aggressive "pet."
Originally Posted By Bubsy I'm a lurker on the boards here, but I decided to register to post on this thread. Sorry this will be long. I am a pit bull owner. I have a vested interest in their well being and reputation. Everytime I read about another dog attack, and the dog is a Pit Bull it pisses me off. These idiots are affecting my dog and I. My dog and thousands of othe pit bulls are innocent of any wrong doing and will never be part of any aggressive act towards a person or a dog. The owners always say "it was nicest dog, it's never showed any signs of agression.." Which in my opinion isn't true, they just don't acknowledge or care or aren't able to recognize that their dog has been showing signs of aggression. A dog that randomly attacks with no prior warning is a huge rarity. I will be judgemental here, but most often the people who own the aggressive dog seem to be unintelligent and people I wouldn't care to associate with. Often their dogs live outside on a chain, or just roam the neighborhood menacing people. Badrap is an organization is the Bay Area, CA that has a nice informative webpage : <a href="http://www.badrap.org/rescue/myths.cfm" target="_blank">http://www.badrap.org/rescue/m yths.cfm</a> Pit Bulls can't lock their jaws - it's a myth. Similar like the one about Dobermans brains imploding. Pit Bulls come from bull baiting dogs, and were then specially bred for dog fighting. Ideally, a Pit Bull will not show or be agressive with any humans - they are not guard dogs and weren't ever intended to be. They were bred to be dog agressive though. My dog is well socialized, and a breed ambassador. In my opinion she is a darling wonderful dog, and everyone who has met her agrees. I have people who have absolutely hated pit bulls meet her and have their minds completely changed. Most threaten to steal her. She is how a Pit Bull is supposed to be, very charming, playful, and submissive to people. She's also dog aggressive. Most people would never realize that she is though. She is my dog, and I adore her and would never want anything bad to happen to her, so I make sure she is on leash and under control. If she wasn't on leash? Probably nothing would happen, but I don't want another blight on the Pit Bull reputation. And I don't want her hurting herself or another dog. I didn't just get lucky with her, she had a good temperament to begin with - pit bulls are extremely popular, They also attract people who aren't concerned with having a nice dog. They're interested in having a big mean scary dog, and then take steps to insure the dog is mean and scary. People will also get a pit bull without knowing that the dog can be dog aggressive and then are irresponsible. They don't give the dog any socialization, and the dog languishes in the backyard. I know everyone has met an unruly untrained dog, they are annoying. Add into that dog aggression, and because Pit Bulls are now horribly OVER bred with no thought to tempermant, or people purposefully breeding human aggressive dogs it creates a huge problem. They're also being bred much larger than they ever were. Nowadays most people would consider a Pit Bull a large dog. They aren't supposed to be. 50-60 used to be considered oversized. I am sure everyone remembers with Dobermans and Rottweilers were the scary dogs, Pit Bulls replaced them, they've unfortunately have held the title the longest now. I am not going to deny that there is a problem within the breed. I love my dog, and I love the tenacious and gofy pit bull personality, but I am responsible, but there are fewer and fewer people who are.
