Epidemic

The below link is a tough, but I argue a necessary, read. 

Here is the link that has sparked a firestorm, but I totally, 1,000 % agree with it. 

A dog isn't saved if it's still stressed to the point of attacking people unprovoked (like Rocco), and bites hard enough to kill any dog.

Shelters, rescue groups, and people need to start focusing on the dogs that should be in a home, who are behaviorally sound, instead of sending loose cannons into people's homes, even if it's an unpopular stance. Additionally, people need to be held accountable for their dogs actions. If their dog bites, it's likely because one of the following has happened: 

 1. The dog has been asking for space and never got it.  (Owner didn't know what to look for). The dog snapped. If it's before a level 3 bite, a training plan might help, or not, depending on the severity of the anxiety and the prognosis of that dog.

 2. The owner hasn't trained the dog. (Dog barks, lunges, growls, but never bit before, so "it's not an issue").  If it's before a level 3 bite, a training plan might help, or not, depending on the severity of the anxiety and the prognosis of that dog.

 3. The owner noticed that something was amiss but used punishment to suppress anxiety (which science proves doesn't work, and often backfires over time).  Alternatively, insufficient steps were taken to manage a dog who is having a hard time. If it's before a level 3 bite, a training plan might help, or not, depending on the severity of the anxiety and the prognosis of that dog.

 4. A rescue, shelter, breeder, or Craigslister knowingly passed an unstable, feral, or behaviorally unsound dog to someone else (passed the buck so someone else could deal with the problem).  If it's before a level 3 bite, a training plan might help, or not, depending on the severity of the anxiety and the prognosis of that dog.

 5. The dog has a medical condition (blindness, deafness, lyme, arthritis, pre-seizure activity, or any number of conditions) that can't possibly be trained out. Some medical conditions can cause aggression, and some are contributing factors.
 6. The dog was defending itself from abuse, teasing, or a perceived threat.

 7. The dog is "wired wrong", is feral, unstable, overstressed, unable to cope, aggressive, undersocializaed, or homed in an environment/family where it will not thrive. We don't have to wait for a bite to determine if these dogs will likely harm a human or dog: that's what behavioral testing is for. This is the one that we are seeing much more of as trainers, and it's disheartening. 

 No matter what the reason, we have an epidemic of dogs going into homes in which they are not suited. There are thousands of dogs the need rescue and do very well with families, who become man's best friend, and love life to the fullest. There are dogs who do really well with a behavior plan and do well with management, and advocacy. Then, there are the dogs who need to be put humanely to sleep because the stress of living every day is hell, a hell that we owe them to get out of with dignity and prevent them from causing irreparable harm to a child, another dog, or any adult victim. 

 It's awesome that people want to save dogs, but what isn't helping is the idea that it's our duty to save every one of these dogs in shitty situations. We can't. We shouldn't. There are dogs who deserve a home, who genuinely love people, or can acclimate comfortably with a very strict routine in an environment that is suited to them. Some dogs, like Sadie, need to be medicated and trained every day to be successful, but she is generally a happy dog, even if certain things stress her out.  But it's not our duty to save dogs who are killing kids, dogs, and live their entire life as a ball of stress and anxiety. If Sadie were no longer happy, was stressed out, behaviorally unsound, or I was unable to keep her, my family, my kid, other dogs, and my community safe from her, than it's on me as her owner (damned public opinion) to humanely end her life so she doesn't harm another. She doesn't even need to physically harm to the point where the long arm of justice would crack down - if I, as her owner, see that she is too stressed to function, even without a bite, then it's on me to be accountable. 

To the people who are crying out for the dog who was run off by a cat to "please let me adopt him, I can help him!", go to a shelter and help a dog that is behaviorally tested. Put your effort into ending breed bans so dogs like Lennox don't get euthanized for being a Pitbull. Put your effort in a healthy place, not to rescue a dog who prey-stalked a kid, shook it to create substantial harm, and has had a reputation for biting people in the past. I know you want to help, so help in a meaningful way. Help the shelters in your area get behavior testing so dogs like the one above can get the help it needs BEFORE it attacks a kid completely unprovoked. Go into schools and talk to kids about the DoggoneSafe program. Volunteer at your local shelter and teach these dogs to "sit", "down" and "stay". Work on preventing dogs from getting adopted on roadsides out of state lines, or work with your shelter to make sure when dogs are homed, they have support if things aren't going well. If you want to help, help in these ways. I encourage you to do these things. We need this. 

Education is the part that is missing in many of these dog-bite cases. I recently worked on a case where the owners really just didn't know about barrier aggression, and inadvertently made things worse. The dog is now doing well with a training plan. Some do, some don't, but we need to behavior test and be honest with potential adopters about the dogs they are getting, and to humanely euthanize those that clearly won't be successful. To truly save dogs, we need to know where to focus efforts. Education, behavior evaluations, and accountability from owners/rescue groups/shelters/breeders is really where it's at. I have low regard for those shelters who are consistently passing the buck to owners so they can keep their "no kill" status, but to what end? That's really the terrible part in all of this. 

Salon: In Defense Of The Pit Bull

A few weeks ago, I wrote a letter to Mayor Menino of Boston, and had written similar emails to my state senator (Jehlen) and the author of Breed Specific Legislation supported by Menino, State Senator Mike Rush. Of the three, I have only heard back from Senator Jehlen, who was instrumental in striking down BSL in the state a few months ago. Now, due to comments by Menino and legislation posted by Senator Rush, it's a hot button topic in Massachusetts all over again.


All of my ramblings to the Senators and the Mayor of Boston can basically can be summed up perfectly by Joshua Holland, and can be found here.


In response to the video of Menino's comments, I'd like to know why there was a loose dog, who the dog belonged to, and what/if the boy was doing anything to instigate the dog. The boy (luckily) wasn't seriously hurt, which leads me to think that there is more to this story.

Instead of banning a breed, I like the idea of Doggy Court (which has been employed in California) where dog owners can state their case. Seriously dangerous dogs can be euthanized, while other dogs can be instructed to wear a muzzle when out, get training, and contained when company is over. Owners get tickets and pay fines for failure to comply with existing laws. The problem is we have laws that aren't being enforced, and the idea of Animal Court can certainly address that issue.

It seems to me the dog was off leash, or escaped. Being able to recall the dog, or not have it off leash to begin with would have saved both the boy and the cat in the story above, so this is a leash law issue or a training issue - not a breed issue.

Dear Mayor Menino: Breed Specific Legislation

This is a letter to the Mayor of Boston in response to SD 1247, a bill proposed by State Senator Mike Rush, that will open the door to allow breed bans and mandatory muzzling of specific breeds. Please help by writing or calling your State Rep, and in a courteous manner, ask that they do not support this bill.

I sent a similar letter to Senator Rush. 

Also, I really do wish to meet with the mayor or any other official that would like to make their constituents safer, and there are many ways to do so without breed bans. Ask any mail carrier or dog trainer - it's not just Pits that aggressively bark and bite! Please share my letter, or write your own if you feel so inspired. 

-M3
___________________________

Greetings, Mr. Mayor!

I'm a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) in the Boston area, teach in Charlestown, and am really concerned about the proposed Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) regarding muzzling Pit Bulls. Here's where I'm concerned.

In a Fox 25 interview, you stated that there is "something in them that is vicious". I would like to formally invite you to one of my classes, or even a public training space so you can see with your own eyes where a blanketed statement such as that can be hurtful - not just to dogs that are considered bully breeds, but to dogs that really do need muzzles.

In the 10 years I've been teaching, I have witnessed several dogfights. In one particular fight, a beautiful Irish Setter charged at a bully breed (Mastiff/Staffordshire Terrier cross, which was labeled as a "Pit Mix”). The Irish Setter got off of his leash, charged at the Pit, and lunged with his teeth bared. The Pit turned his head away, and the Setter continued to instigate a fight. Eventually, the Setter lunged with his teeth bared at the Pits neck. The Setter turned and bit his owner when the owner tried to break up the fight. The entire time, the Pit just stood there, tail tucked, and took the assault.

In this instance, who should have been muzzled? My professional opinion would state the Setter, not this particular bully breed.

When I was attacked by the family Husky growing up (I still have the scars up and down my arm 30 years later), my dad dealt with that one particular dog, not the other 10 we used for dog sledding.

Lastly, I want to bring your attention to a young boy who took my Frisbee class with his dog. This dog is the quintessential Pit Bull type dog. Short, black, stocky, well muscled, and a boxy head. This boy had a form of Autism and couldn't focus. His mom got him a dog. This dog did EVERYTHING the boy asked, and the boy started to engage with the dog in a way that he hadn't engaged with anyone or anything before. This Staffordshire Terrier (what most people call Pit Bulls) was athletic, smart, sweet, and one of the best Frisbee Dogs I've ever seen. To see this boy light up when he worked with his dog was one of the highlights of my career. This family was told the dog was a Black Lab/Boxer mix by the rescue group. They had to continue to say that on all of their paperwork for the dog so their homeowners' insurance did not go up. If they said they had a Staffordshire Terrier, even as awesome as this dog is, they would not be able to afford the insurance. This dog changed this boys life for the better, and this is a model citizen dog.

My Border Collie could not pass the Canine Good Citizen test due to dog-dog aggression. Both dogs mentioned above absolutely could pass that test on any given day.

Please reconsider your stance on BSL. Take each dog as an individual and not brush all dogs with a certain aesthetic with a broad stroke. By doing so, you put undue stigmas on the good dogs while taking the focus away from educating the public on how to approach dogs, how to live with dogs and encourage the public to muzzle dogs that need to be muzzled (like an aggressive Irish Setter).

If you'd like to meet with me in a classroom so you can meet some dogs that (I promise) are of sound mind and well socialized, of all breeds, including some from the Bully Breed category, email me: mmccue@gmail.com. If you still feel that they are bullies after educating yourself, after reading this and getting around these dogs in person (you can make it a press event, I'd welcome cameras if you like), then I'll get off of my soapbox quietly. I implore you to have an event with animal behavior specialists, and professionals in the community that deal with these dogs every day. Do what you can first to educate yourself before going forward with this legislation. I feel that you’ll find there are other avenues to take to protect the citizens of Boston that are more effective and efficient - but you have to talk to the professionals in the community. I’d be happy to lead this effort if you’d let me.

You're the mayor of a big city, and I'd feel better if you got around these dogs in a safe environment, learned about dog body language, and how to change the city of Boston for the better regarding dogs that are actually vicious, instead of legislating against an entire, unenforceable group. Keep in mind that Pit Bulls aren't a breed, but a look, so it will be really hard to enforce. Would you ban just the Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pitbull Terrier or would you also include the American Bulldog, Bull Mastiffs, Swiss Mountain Dogs - who have a similarly boxy head? To emphasize how hard this legislation would be to enforce, try to find the one Pit Bull in this lineup.

There are so many things that we can do to make our cities safer and more friendly to animals and humans alike. You can lead the nation on this, but please reconsider BSL, and meet with animal professionals. We have great ideas that can be enforced and can make our city safer, but you have to talk to us instead of legislating broadly.

Thank you for your time.
Melissa McCue-McGrath, CPDT-KA
muttstuff.blogspot.com

Skeptoid on Pit Bulls

My friend, Matt, sent this podcast to me yesterday after I wrote about about a woman with a baby and two Pit Bulls.

Consider the following article the scientific follow up to what trainers, rescue groups, and breed enthusiasts have been saying for years.

This is a case where the value of good science is to drive policy. Most researchers agree that breed-specific legislation — a nice term for pit bull bans — are inappropriate.  No good data exists to demonstrate that such bans have had any impact. Improved enforcement of existing laws, and improved education for dog owners, are far more likely to reduce the number of dog bites, fatal or not.

Link to Skeptoid's Article/Podcast here.

Around The Internetz: Pit Bulls and Babies

I used Offbeat Bride almost exclusively when planning our wedding. Now that I'm an old married lady, I'm using a lot more of the Offbeat Empire, including Offbeat Home. It's Martha Stewart for crafty, artistic, outside the box types who aren't into Martha Stewart.

I frequently type in "Dogs" into the Empires search engine because they have great ideas for pets. Typing in "Dogs" this week, I got one post that really got my attention, and I have to share it here. It's written from a woman who has 2 Pit Bulls and a baby.

I'm not here to say my dogs are just like puggles or cockapoos. They are clearly not. Having them in our family means that there isn't any unsupervised play between the dogs and our son. There are also regular lessons on animal/baby kindness for all involved. But these things happen not because it's in my dogs' nature to attack. (Pit bulls were long called nanny dogs because of how great they are with children!) The supervision and the boundaries I set happen simply because we aim to be responsible parents and dog owners.

Well said, Julie. Well said.

The thing I love about this is that she doesn't say "it's easy having a Pit and a youngster". She admits that her dogs are big, tough, and that they need a lot of the magic word: MANAGEMENT. She also states that her baby is not allowed to play unsupervised with either dog, and that the thing that bothers her more than people judging her for a home birth and her stance on vaccines is that people don't think big dogs and babies can co-exist. 

I've written about Baby/Dog Introductions in the past, as well as my stance on why Pit Bulls (and other "tough" breeds) in two other posts: Pitbull Soapbox, where I outline my stance on Pits and Breed Bans; and about Breed Bans in Maine after a Waterville Police Chief wanted to Ban Pits because of frequent attacks -----one of which was when a child was "playing rough" with a Pit Bull, 3 weeks after that dog attacked another child in the home (why the parents let the kids play with the dog with a known bite history is beyond me....)

Julie has it right. They need to have rules in their home, management, and practice safe multi-species household common sense. Too bad more people aren't like Julie, because dogs will continue to get re-homed/put down because management, training, lots of baby gates (for the dog as well as baby), aerobic exercise needs - and in the case of the Pit Bull - common sense, aren't there.
 
Just to illustrate, this isn't just Pits. I talked to a sweet man with a Corgi who bit his toddler in the head. Before you jump to the conclusion that this is a herding dog, and maybe it was a mean/viscous animal, here's what happened:

 -Dog was asleep under a table at Thanksgiving.
 -Dad watches baby crawl under table, where the dog went to get relief from the baby.
 -16 month old kid crawls under table, pulls on dogs face.
 -Dog wakes up, startled and bites at whatever is around.....the top of the kids head.

Let me put it this way: If someone did that to me, I'd bite too. The options are to re-home the dog, or euthanasia. The dog is 7 years old, now unfairly marked for like with a "bite" history - you tell me the likelihood that this dog will get re-homed to someone outside the family. It's going to be much harder, and you have to have a connection of some sort to help this dog get into the right home, if one is available. Rescue groups won't take a dog with a history of bites - even if the circumstances are in the dogs favor (as listed above).

That story won't be on the 6 o'clock news. The family is heartbroken because they want to do what's best for the dog, but they can't keep the dog in the home. The options are rather limited.


This, sadly, happens all the time.

The keys are management, training, and knowing the limitations of the family dynamic. Not all dogs will be ok with kids, and if that's your dog, find a new home before baby comes, before the dog is stressed enough to bite. Otherwise, the onus is on the owner, no matter how big, or small, the dog is.

What if my dog is growling, or stressed out?

It's scary when your lovable house pet starts to show signs of stress - like growling - at your newly mobile toddler. If you are having this problem, the key is to get help before a bite occurs. In our area, I recommend working with Dr. Kati Wrubel at Mass Vet Referral Hospital, or Dr. Sheila D'Arpino at the Animal Rescue League. If you can't get in touch with them, find a qualified, certified instructor to come into your home and help you out.

I Lied: One More Post

Last week, I said I would be taking a break from the blog until after my nuptials. So.....I lied. And I apologize - usually my writing is much more put together and has more photos - but I really didn't have time to make this as Computer Friendly as usual. So without further adieu, this really is my last post before the wedding....I swear!

You all know my stance on Pit-bulls and Breed Bans (for a refresher, check out this post).

My dad called me yesterday to tell me something that he thought I would find interesting. The Police Chief of Waterville Maine, Joseph Massey, is on a mission to keep Pit Bulls and large aggressive dogs out of homes away from kids after a 2 year old boy was bit in the face by the family owned pit bull. The dog was euthanized.

No one doubts that aggressive dogs should be kept away from children, but to generalize that all Pit-bulls are a danger to families is blatantly false. Chief Massey is currently scoping out Breed Specific Legislation  laws (commonly referred to as BSL) around the country to see if those ordinances will hold up in court. If the communities that enact BSL are deemed successful, he’ll present a similar ordinance to the Waterville City Council.

So for those who think Pit Bulls are bad, here are the facts of the case as mentioned by the Portland Press Herald: a 2 year old boy fell down next to the dog, and they started “rough playing” – the dog ended up biting the child in the face.  This is really tragic - especially when you hear the rest of it.

Just a couple weeks prior, the dog bit a 6 year old child that lived in the home. 

Massey said the 2-year-old's mother told police that before the dog bit the boy, she asked the child to go into the bathroom to wash up for dinner.
"She said when the 2-year-old comes out, he falls next to the dog and she said they kind of started rough-playing and the dog ended up biting the 2-year-old on the face," Massey said. He said the woman pulled the dog off the boy. He was taken to the hospital, and then to Maine Medical Center in Portland.
Norman St. Michel is registered as the dog's owner and it was his 6-year-old son who was bitten Aug. 18, Massey said. He said police officers and Animal Control Officer Chris Martinez went to the home and spoke with St. Michel.
St. Michel, 42, was summoned for keeping a dangerous dog and is scheduled to appear in Waterville District Court Dec. 6, Massey said.

The owner of the dog is going to court to face a summons, as he should, but the bigger issue is why the mom allowed for the dog to be around her kids, especially when that dog had a bite history.   It seems like there was a huge management issue to allow a kid near a dog with a known bite history. 

My professional advice? Absolutely DO NOT allow for “rough housing play” with any animal that has a bite history: that animal could be a Pit Bull, a Border Collie, a Corgi, a Chihuahua or a cat. 

Chief Massey states that “every time one of these maulings happen, I get self-proclaimed dog experts who will immediately respond that it's not the dog's fault; it's the owner.”

Well, according to the report, it does look like the owners (or at least the responsible adult in the home at the time) fault. There is absolutely no management, and if any dog was to bite a child, another dog, anything, the onus is on the owner. The owner should get proper training. The owner should know when their dog is being pushed. The owner should know that kids are not to be around their animal, especially when that animal has a bite history, and absolutely under no circumstances should that particular dog have been near that kid.

The Chief goes on to say that “the bottom line is, there are some breeds we have that are more aggressive by nature than others. You cannot predict with certainty that they won't turn on not just a child, but other people." He said the size and temperament of the dogs can be a dangerous mix. "These are powerful dogs -- they cause a lot of damage," he said. "They're powerful wounds, ripping of skin and muscle and tissue. They're disfiguring in some cases."

And again, he’s right – size and temperament should be taken into consideration - but that should be the case with EVERY DOG, and not just size. It is also factually incorrect that a Pit-bull is more aggressive by nature than any other dog. 

The American Pit Bull Registry (APBR) notes: “The odds of being struck by lightning

are 1 in 600,000 in the USA. Comparatively speaking you are 6 times more likely to be

struck by lightning than you are to be killed by a dog of any breed. When you further

break down the odds of being attacked and killed by a Pit Bull the odds are in your favor

– approximately 1 in 145,000,000.

As an animal trainer, I can attest that there are Dachshunds I wouldn’t go near, and to this day, the only animal that has ever landed me in the hospital as a function of my job, was an 8 pound cat.

Half of dog bites occur to children who get bit in the face.  Children move funny, the squeak and run away really fast, they poke and prod dogs in the face, pull tails, and rough house in ways that are totally inappropriate.  A warning nip to the face of another dog with significantly tougher skin and a fur coat to protect them is really dangerous to a child who is eye level with that dog and has very sensitive human tissue. 

77% of dog bites to children are in the face. Severe injuries almost exclusively happen in kids under the age of 10, and 90% of serious bites occur in the family home.   

So it seems as if there is a huge disconnect between what management really is, and what dog body language is trying to say. People think its play, and it’s cute when a kid is roughly petting a dog, but that dog might have a very short fuse. If a kid poked me in the eye, or pulled on my face, I’d get really angry. People also need to understand that “hugging” is a primate behavior, not a canid behavior, and most dogs really don’t like it. There are dogs (mine included) that get hugged every day. If you look at photos of that behavior, I look thrilled, and the dog looks annoyed. 

She tolerates me. Look at her face - and look at mine. Who's this hug really for?

They tolerate me, and they know they will get a good payout for it – like a cookie. But when they get assaulted by small children wanting to hug them, and they get annoyed because in dog-language that’s a threatening behavior, when that dog bites, it’s to the kids face, which is right in the hug position.

Not all animals love to be hugged. (This is me and my younger brother before we had a dog to hug) If he was a dog, I'd deserve to get bit. Thankfully, Matty didn't have teeth yet.

The thing that cracks me up is when he states: “I’ve always had an issue with families that have dogs that are not well-suited for the family,” Massey told the Bangor Daily News in a telephone interview Monday. “They don’t do research.”

Yes, there are dogs out there that can’t transition to life in a home, there are dogs that have neurological issues, there are dogs out there that are unneutered and kept frustrated on a chain all day and lunge at anything that come into their space (and Maine is one of the states where keeping a dog on a chain out back all day for the duration of that dogs life is still really quite acceptable).

There are dogs, Pits as well as Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds. who would do rather well with a family without lots of commotion, or with a single owner, or live anywhere that is not in the city. Take each dog on a case by case basis and go from there. Shelters need to do a better job of selecting where dogs go (dogs living in a city need way more evaluation to determine if they can survive in the city); breeders of all dogs need to start looking at personality as a characteristic to breed for, just like coat type and height; dog fighting rings need to be shut down; and dogs with a bite history should not be around children. Period.  

A couple decades ago, people would get married, have kids, then get the kid a dog. Now, people move in together, get a dog, see if cohabitation works, and then they decide to have kids. That dog they originally got might not be suited for a home with kids. So when the Chief says that they need to do research, he’s right – but not just with dogs that he deems as Big and Aggressive. If an individual wants a tough looking dog, or a dog to protect the home, they should be doing way more research than the average family, especially if they want to bring children into that home. Then, everyone (not just the owners of bully breeds) needs to do some research as to what dog body language is, what a growl means, the points of which the dog is uncomfortable before things escalate.

Kids need to be educated on how to play nicely with a dog, how to say hi to a dog, and how to interact with a dog safely – and only when parents are around. The kids also need to stay away from the dog if the parents state “stay away from the dog” for their own safety. The dog can go in a crate, in a room, or have some space that is exclusively theirs where the kids do not go. All of the signs above are clear indications that THE DOG NEEDS SPACE.

If Chief Massey wants to make a real difference, he needs to start an education program and start cracking down in the areas that need cracking down. Putting Breed Specific Legislation on the table is not going to help – it’s a band aid on much bigger problem. The bottom line is that children and dogs NEED to be monitored, and not just watched as they play – they need to be actively monitored, as evidenced by this case. The mom watched her kid rough-house with the dog before the bite - but did she notice if the dog was stiff? Did she notice if the dog was panting? Did she notice if her kid poked the dog in the eye, or pulled on the face? Did she just wave it off as if to say "he's just playing", while ignoring the signals? Did the dog give any? If the dog wasn't a signaler, and has a bite history, WHY WAS THE KID BY THE DOG? Rough housing with a dog that has a bite history is not management or active monitoring. 

People NEED to be educated on subtle signals that dogs give (such as ears back, stiffening of the body, face aversion, tail position, puffing, etc), people should not punish their dogs for growling behaviors because if a dog that is uncomfortable is punished for growling, they won’t growl next time they are uncomfortable – they will just bite. That is a far more dangerous dog. Back yard breeders and dog fighting rings need to be investigated, breeders need to make sure they are breeding for personality and not just a tough look, and trainers need to stop using aversive techniques on dogs that look tough, because that dog is statistically more likely to hurt someone.

Victoria Stillwell said on Steve Dale’s Pet World not too long ago that it only takes a second – and I’m living proof of that. I have scars up and down my right arm from a dog attack when I was a kid – and my dad did not muzzle the rest of the dog sled team. My dad did not teach me to fear dogs – he told me that particular dog was not a nice dog, and that the other dogs on our sledding team weren’t like him. That story wasn’t on the 6’o clock news. I grew up to be a dog trainer. That specific dog was euthanized, and we continued our back yard sledding hobby.

When it comes to this Police Chief (and I have high regard for the men in blue – my dad is a police officer), I will defer to his status as a law enforcement official when it comes to things that are legal and illegal. When it comes to speeding,  I might try to lie my way out of the ticket, but he’s still the guy in charge.  When it comes to dogs, dog behavior, what works, and what doesn’t, he should defer to the actual professionals in that field – people in the APDT, IAABC, and not just back yard trainers without credentials or as he put it, “self-proclaimed dog experts”. He needs to talk to people who have the science and the experience in dog behavior, dog / child/ family experience, and where things went wrong.

As a trained professional (who occasionally swears like a sailor), everything about this story screams "for F*cks Sake - why was that kid allowed near that dog?!?!" This was an accident waiting to happen - a gun with a bullet in the chamber, and no one thought to check the safety.

If he wants to help, he can look at the shelters that do good work (really great evaluation techniques and placement) and compare to those that don’t have the facility or funds to put these evaluations into practice - and get the skills into those smaller, less funded shelters. Placing dogs in the right environment can make a huge difference.  There are so many things he can do that will make a HUGE difference instead of just banning a breed. If there were no Pits, the story would be Rotts. If there were no Rotts, you'd hear about Border Collies "herding" children and getting bit. If there were no Border Collies, you'll see Dachshunds on the news -they were bred to grab badgers by the FACE, and pull them out of a hole in the ground. That can do some damage to a kids face. BSL isn't the answer. It really, just simply, isn't. 

Pit Bull Soapbox

I know, you've all heard from animal rights people that "Pit Bulls aren't the problem, people are the problem".

I dare you to take one look at this story and not agree with the above statement on at least some level.

This dog was found with his teeth sawed off or broken. He was a bait-dog for dog fighting.

Instead of banning the breed, we really need to ban the bad breeders - the backyard breeders that breed dogs for fighting. We need to crack down on dog fighting, and impose serious jail time for those involved in this brutal form of "entertainment". We need to educate the public, and we have to recognize that any dog can bite, not just Pitbulls. But it's an underground culture, and it's REALLY hard to catch the bad guys. More effort needs to be focused on those guys than on breed bans.

I broke up a fight at the dog park yesterday between a Pug, and a Jack Russell Mix. The Jack was really REALLY revved up, and if he wasn't so fat, he might have taken a chunk of my hand with him. I'm not joking - he really could have done some serious damage. If you look at just the fight, you think "who would let a dog into the park that would fight?" The Pug actually was the instigator. The whole time I was there, this Pug was pressuring, mounting, irritating the Jack Russell to the point the Jack finally had enough. I would have done the same thing if someone I didn't know very well was trying to hump my leg in a public place.

Alien dogs sent here to piss off other dogs, start fights, and take over the world.
 Mwhaa haa haaa.....

I was attacked brutally by a husky that my family owned....twice (and still wear the scars up and down my right arm). The first time was totally my fault, and my parents. I was 8 and shouldn't have been left unattended with a dog twice my size. I reached into his house to grab his food dish to fill it with dinner, and he bit me several times up my right arm. The second time, he grabbed me by my hair, pulled me to the ground, stood on my chest and went for my throat. I had my arm up in self defense, and if my brother didn't come to my rescue, who knows how bad it would have got.

No one heard that story on the 6'clock news.

The Dog Sled version of the Writers Strike.

 
And I will be honest, I've worked with some pretty tough, difficult Pits and "Bully Breeds" in my line of work. I can't say that every dog in a class or group are angels*.

*Except for Frenchies. All Frenchies are Angels.

I can say with confidence that I have not seen any more bites from Pits, Bulldogs, Staffordshires, Bull Terriers, Bull Mastiffs, Rottweilers, Dobermans, or other "bully breeds" than I have mix breeds, Coonhounds, Border Collies, Huskies, Min-Pins, Poodles, Havaneeses, Keeshonds, Aussie Shepherds, Dachshunds, Shih-tzus, Cock-a-poos, Shih-Poos, Poodle-Doodles, and Husk-orgi's.

Seriously. A Corgi + Husky. Happens more than you'd think, based on Google image search.

A word on the infamous Pit Bull Lockjaw. It doesn't happen. It never happened. They do not have "razor jaws that lock" - if they did, dinner would be incredibly infuriating. Every time they chew, their jaws get stuck.

They DO, however, have very tough muscles in their jaw that we bred into them for dog fighting, bull fighting, and other sports. If you don't teach a release cue, a drop it command, or any other basic skill - if you don't work with a dog to get it accustomed to people, or teach people to give the dog space when it's clear the dog is overwhelmed - if you get a dog to "look tough" but don't train it in an appropriate way (prong collars and choke chains are not the appropriate way- you can make dogs very reactive/aggressive that way), you will have a very big problem on your hands.

Funny - the same can happen with Little Dogs, but we just don't seem to care. Probably because little dogs can be picked up and Rottweilers can't. Think of the below photo. It's "funny" or "adorable" or mildly unsettling when a small dog is angry and revved up. What if this same expression was worn by a Pit or a Doberman? It's no so funny, and downright terrifying. Any dog that can get angry (read: all dogs) should be treated equally. This dog needs space.

You want Taco Bell? I got your Taco Bell right here....

Breed Specific Legislation is all over the place to ban the dogs - or make it more difficult to have one. In Lowell, MA  - right in our backyard, there is legislation on the books that recently went into effect a few weeks ago, stating that if you have a Pit, or a dog that looks like a Pit, your dog HAS to be muzzled when walking. You have to post a sign that there are Pits on the premises of your home/apartment. You must abide by all the laws posted in the ordinance.  Yet, the mailman who goes by the house with the Feisty Fido Mix Breed that means business doesn't get the same type of warning.

How sad. And it's because of ass-hats like the guy
 

and this guy in England
and this guy in Oakland
and this guy in Chicago

who take dogs like this:

 

....and dogs like this (courtesy of Boston.com's article on Dogs in the News)...look at the burn marks on the dog, on the man, and the young woman's hands).

Fire survivors Darryl Steen, his daughters Darahne, 9, and Sierra, 16, sit with their pit bull, Diamond, after the dog received the 29th annual National Hero Dog Award from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Los Angeles May 4. When their apartment caught fire in October 2010, the dog barked to wake owner Darryl Steen. He rushed to save his daughters, grabbing Darahne, but he couldn't get through the smoke and flames to reach Sierra. Diamond not only wiggled through but shielded the teenager beneath a mattress until firefighters rescued them both. Sierra and her father were treated for burns and received skin grafts. Diamond spent six weeks at a veterinary hospital recovering from burns and smoke inhalation. (Damian Dovarganes/AP) #

...and dogs like this...



...and do things like this:

The American Pit Bull, Staffordshire Terrier, Mastiffs, and other dogs that are often referred to as "Pit Bull" are hearty dogs who are loyal to their people - and if people get training and help for their dogs, they can have amazing animals with undying loyalty as part of their family. A Bully Breed, or ANY dog that doesn't have basic skills to cope in the human world as well as the dog world (dogs have to be bi-lingual), needs to be worked with and given a chance. If that dog is too far gone, not wired right, drugs don't help, or is constantly living in such a stressful environment that they continue to bite dogs/people/etc., that specific dog should be muzzled or humanely euthanized depending on the situation. That rule should be for all dogs - Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Mixes, Shepherds, Fluffy dogs, Sporting Dogs, and Pit Bulls.

My dad humanely destroyed the dog that attacked me twice. He didn't muzzle our other 10 huskies, he didn't tell me to be afraid of all huskies, and he didn't act as if anything was wrong with the breed. Because I was taught at a young age that not all dogs will try maul humans, and how to read a specific situation, I was never afraid of our other dogs and am now helping people in their own scary situations.

If putting a muzzle on a dog doesn't necessarily make that dog safer, than it stands to reason that mandatory muzzle laws on an entire breed or look of dog won't make that breed safer. Address the underlying issues as to why a particular dog is biting or dangerous, and let everyone else walk their dogs in peace.