Letters from readers:
The Pit Bull arguments
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| Wow, I must have been good all this year - my very own tree ... and INDOORS! |
Hello,
A note on the controversy surrounding the American Pit Bull Terrier: This is the SAME breed as the American Staffordshire Terrier. The only difference is that the Pit Bull is registered by the United Kennel Club, and the American Staffordshire is registered by the American Kennel Club. In fact, many dogs are double-registered (AKC and UKC).
The two registries tend to represent different body types and different bloodlines - the UKC Pit Bull is typically a longer, leaner dog with less head than the AKC American Staffordshire, and those bloodlines do tend to have more of the "hair trigger" problem - temperament IS inherited, otherwise why do breeders bother breeding for good-natured dogs?
But historically, they are still the same breed. And that information comes via a president of UKC, who has extensively researched the breed's history and development.
At our local pound (Los Angeles, California area), a lot of Pit Bull crosses are adopted out as Labrador crosses - solely because they are black or yellowish with floppy ears, and shelter employees don't know the difference ... which goes to show how stupid such laws are and how the Labrador name can be blackened undeservedly by such crosses.
The solution for owners of well-tempered specimens of the Pit Bull breed is to make sure they are registered as American Staffordshires under the AKC, not as Pit Bulls.
As for owners of ill-tempered specimens of any breed - shame on those breeders in the first place, for not selecting against poor temperament. And shame on owners who think their dog's toughness is a public peeing demonstration ... which leads to such stupid laws in the first place. - KV Moffet, Longplain Kennels, Registered old-fashioned classic Labradors since 1969. http://www.longplain.com http://www.offworldpress.com
Too trusting
Hello,
My name is Kristina. My beloved Rott (a Labrador) who loves and licks children actually bit an adult for walking on his porch when one of the neighbourhood kids was standing on it. He never was aggressive to the boy, who was 17 - my dog had known and loved the boy for seven years. The boy was in my house and answered the door. The dog stood by the boy and as the woman came right at the boy with her hand out, my dog lashed out in protection of territory and family. I was sued for $1800.
I was lucky that when my dog was a pup I yelled every time he bit me. I don't know if he would have let go if she did not scream right away. She sustained a small puncture wound to the wrist from one canine tooth and he released as soon as she screamed. He is very well trained but as you said I was not there with him and set more trust than I should in a so-called docile dog. I won't trust them any more, I learned my lesson. Dogs are dogs and anything can happen! - Kristina
Yes, you are right - and taking care is as much for the protection of your dog as anyone else. Your dog Rott can never be called vicious as he let go quickly and was in no way engaging in an 'attack'. He was simply protecting a boy he knew well and thought was under threat, but to a court it is still called an attack. While the action of the woman was very silly with an unknown dog present, we dog owners can not expect everyone who comes to our door to know even a little about dog motivation, so that is why we have to protect visitors from their own lack of knowledge and protect our dogs from becoming innocent victims. - Ed
