dogsgalore Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 I read this article and it really bugged me so I sent them an e-mail. [url]http://www.jsonline.com/lifestyle/advice/mar02/31443.asp[/url] I know it's old but, grrrrr, some people!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooeydog Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 She got quite a few replies back when the article was first published, I doubt she was expecting so many angry "assault weapon" owners to come forth in defense of their pets. Here's a follow up article she wrote: [url]http://www.jsonline.com/lifestyle/advice/apr02/36650.asp[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendalyn Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 Her follow up article was just as distrubing as the first one. I'm glad people wrote her letters, but they have no business making personal assaults and using nasty, angry language to get their point across. All it does is make the pitbull community seem as dangerous and stupid as she thinks their dogs are. What if people had calmly, rationally and politely disputed the points in her article? She might have been able to step back and think about the wisdom of others words, instead of immediately being on the defensive. This is a woman whose feelings about people who own "dangerous dogs" have just been confirmed and I think it's really a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooeydog Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 You're absolutely right Kendalyn, but in any group, you're going to get people who lose their tempers and make fools of themselves. I saw some of the letters this woman got from pit bull owners (though certainly not all), as well as the replies they got back from her. Most of the letters I saw were not as she describes them. Mine weren't, and I got back nasty replies to each. There will always be a few bad apples in any group that ruin things for the rest, not much anyone can do about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendalyn Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 [quote]There will always be a few bad apples in any group that ruin things for the rest, not much anyone can do about it.[/quote] This is very true :( If it weren't for the bad apples, pit bulls wouldn't have a bad reputation to begin with. I remember a while ago going to a nature preserve only to find it had been closed because of people littering and doing illegal activities. The city didn't have the money to police it so they closed it altogether. Somebody spray painted a sign that said, "So we all pay". I thought that summed up my feelings pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
__crazy_canine__ Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 Hmmmmm maybe we should gather all the pitties from dogo and assemble a search party to bring her down and kill her! That'll show her just how much pit bulls are "walking assasins." Just so stupid! :evil: When will my poor pitties ever get a break??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boscoe13 Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 As a first time pitbull owner I can relate to the angry people who replied to her article. I think what happens is that pitbull owners get so frustrated and tired of defending their dogs that it does get extremely annoying. The dark cloud will always hang over these large breeds and we can argue till we're blue in the face. My dog is only 5 months old and people don't even want to walk on the same side of the street. He's not even big enough to do anything. And its insulting to me that they would think I would allow my dog to do such vicious things that they're invisioning in their minds. I've had people approach me asking questions which I don't mind but when they start asking questions like "Do you let him play around kids??" of course I do I trust my dog and I've educated the kids who play with him. I think that's a major issue. Children should be educated by the dog owner how to behave around the dog. I guess it'll be a debate that never ends! :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 I decided to reply - calm;y and rationally "To all those readers whose letters I have faithfully answered for all these years, I apologize. To those whose courtesy I admired, I salute you. I'll still write. I'll still read everything. But if you send me a cruel diatribe, you will receive back what you deserve: Silence." so be it. You did not deserve the diatribes that were inflcted on you, you ARE entitled to your opinion. Having said that, let me see if I can explain how the Pit Bull side feels, outside of abuse and name-calling. Pit Bulls were bred, originally, to hunt Bear, Boar and Bulls. Therefore the name. However, they were also bred to be extremely tolerant and loving of people. The reasons for this were obvious to the breeders of fighting dogs. If you couldnt stop the dog from fighting, if you couldnt restrain it without getting bitten yourself, it was useless to you as a hunter. Therefore extreme tolerance of people was one of the breeding traits that was required. Dogs that didnt have it were "culled" (killed) from the litter, so that they could never be bred. This was before neutering was an option. What eventually evolved was a dog that would fight, and kill, another animal, without ever being a threat to a human. The stocky build, the tenacity, the strength of the neck and jaws, was perfect for what they were being bred for. (they cannot actually lock their jaws, no dog can. They just refuse to give up) Do you remember Petey, from the Little Rascal's? He was a Pit Bull.... Enter the 20th century.....gang wars, drug wars, street unrest, violence...the good old days of comfortable, happy and usually country life are gone. People are packed into cities, where crime is rampant, and fear is an everyday thing. At some point, the criminal elements, the gangs, the people causing the unrest, realized that this dog could make them money. It was bred to fight, so they would charge a fee to fight them and have people watch. The dog itself doesnt care what it fights, it is fullfilling it's instincts as they were bred into it. But a purebred Pit Bull, with the bred-in tolerance is expensive. And even if you have one, it still has to be introduced to life with people, and to tolerance, from an early age. The criminal element arent interested in that. They want a dog, quick, vicious, and a winner. That;s ALL they care about. Thus comes the inbreeding, the lack of training, and you end up with the dog with "never-let-go" jaws, and no tolerance, no training, no socialization with people, And yes, that is a dangerous animal. Then people hear about these dogs, and they think "GREAT guard dog!" and go out and get one. In reality, a well-bred Pit Bull is NOT a good guard dog...he likes people, and unless someone shows a real threat to the owners they love, he wont go into protect mode. This is the dog, when well-bred and raised, that would lead the burglars to the safe. But these mixes, mix-ups, untrained, unsocialized, are as likely to turn on their owners and their children, or other people's children, without a second thought. As far as Rotties, yes, they are guarding breed dogs. They were bred that way. They serve the police and military well, they are also well versed at search and rescue. These dogs need a JOB, plain and simple. You cant raise a Rottie without giving it something to do. And you have to be a frim hand in that raising, literally the "Alpha presence" in the house, because that's who these dogs will respect. I say this with experience, I have ":broken" many a dominant dog that got above himself, because his owners let him do whatever he wanted, without stopping him. What did I "break" them with? Pack Rules...sometimes you have to think on their level, not ours...We have a bad habit of thinking of our dogs as "people with four legs", which they definitely ARE NOT....we spoil them, treat them like people, and in some cases that's fine. It does not work well with the large, bold guarding breeds. I;m not saying that people shouldnt be allowed to have these breeds...but I am a firm believer that the potential owner should be able to PROVE he knows how to handle a dog like that. And yes, if he cant, he should be REQUIRED to go to professional obedience training. It's not the dogs fault, he too is a victim of circumstance. I know many people with APBT's, and Rott's and Shepherds....I think, although undeserved, that a lot of the rancor you received was because the governent wants to ban these dogs entirely...also not the correct solution. But it's cheaper and easier then verifying that people did the obedience courses necessary to handle the dog, and it makes them look good in the public eye... So while the abuse you suffered was uncalled for, I can see the other side of the coin as well. I would appreciate a response to this email, if you dont mind. I dont intend to jump all over you, I just wished you to see the other side of story from a somewhat more reasonable viewpoint. Thanks. Katy Courtney Elgin, IL. [email][email protected][/email] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 i sent her this... [quote]To Ms. Mitchard, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 26, 2004 Share Posted March 26, 2004 These kinds of people drive me insane... I dont get where people talk, and actually put it out there for others to see, about something they dont know about. This person obviously has no idea about pit bulls. And yet she is willing to write a story to try to tell people about it. And Boscoe hit the nail on the head. At least for myself and other pit owners I know. I will always defend my breed but I get so sick of repeating myself over and over agian. I will give the info out if people will listen and lots of times when they dont want to hear it. Problem is, they say they want to know but they dont listen, Everything goes in one ear and out the other. These people want to think this breed is sooo dangerous. They want to think this breed is a people hater/killer. What else woould they do with their time if they werent writting BS articles like this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 26, 2004 Share Posted March 26, 2004 [quote name='kendalyn']What if people had calmly, rationally and politely disputed the points in her article? She might have been able to step back and think about the wisdom of others words, instead of immediately being on the defensive. [/quote] I think this should be applied everywhere and towards everything in this world. this is the logical and tactful way to come to conclusions. There are always at least 2 sides (sometimes more) to a story. Everyone should always listen first, think, gather some information from pro/con sources, then reply. Alas though, it rarely ever works that way. Hands on usually has to ensue before people will *un*believe things they have heard all their life, and all the negative exposure they have been fed. (ie, the news always showing the bad instead of sometimes showing the good) It's taken me 6 years to prove to my mother that doberman's do not go crazy and kill their owner's later in life due to a small head, because of what other's have said/made casual comment about over time. I actually overheard her telling my grandmother this past weekend that my dogs were gentle as lambs and, although she still didn't "like dogs", that she didn't think they would hurt a fly. Now if I could get them to realize that about other "dangerous" breeds I will feel confident in my communication skills. Although, it will be harder because there will be no hands on experience. :-? I firmly beleive everyone (this includes all species) should be given a chance to prove themselves, instead of being condemned by a few that have proved themselves unworthy/unfit for society. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted March 26, 2004 Share Posted March 26, 2004 she's thawing, a lttle... You know, I agree that ONCE, this breed might have been a viable, wonderful companion. Unscrupulous breeders and owners have ruined its reputation and bred for bad character. Whether you and other good owners can reclaim the breed is a question for the future. However, I will never, ever think that anyone needs six dogs of any kind, in a family home, with a young child. That is a pack and pack animals will behave accordingly. Thanks for being nice. Jackie m. While I know that a lot of people here have multiple dog households, like K and HF, I agree with this statement for the clueless pet owner...some of them shouldnt have dogs at all.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beach Posted March 26, 2004 Share Posted March 26, 2004 I used to watch my friends little pit. I took her to the dog park (many times) and she loved to play with other dogs. She was tough but the people laughed and enjoyed watching the dogs. Then when somebody said...."Is that a pit?" People pulled their dog away. Amazed me every time it happened. So, I started saying that she is an Amstaff. Oh ok. then they can play!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydogroxy Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsgalore Posted March 28, 2004 Author Share Posted March 28, 2004 She replied to my e-mail and thanked me for the info, she said she was becoming more knowledgable about the breed. :) I wish more people were as understanding as this and willing to listen to the other side, but unfortunatly most are not. :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddysMom Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 [quote]Hmmmmm maybe we should gather all the pitties from dogo and assemble a search party to bring her down and kill her! That'll show her just how much pit bulls are "walking assasins." Just so stupid! When will my poor pitties ever get a break???[/quote] EEEEEEk! I know this is old ... I know this is sarcasm ... I know I vowed not to comment in this area any more if I could help it ... but jeeez you guys, and esp. CC ... someone can make a comment like this here and not be called on it?! YIKES! [OK, I'm editing as I tend to do...] ... maybe no one need have "called" CC on it ... and again I know it is sarcasm but only because I "know" CC to a small degree through other posts. But if I did not know, and just came across this I'd be terrified! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: oh, you'll get used to it. Often we use this forum to vent (especially on the punishment that should be inflicted) but no one here is really all that murderous. I guess I can see your point if a newbie saw that though. 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddysMom Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 Thanks court, I didn't THINK I was among a pack of murderers but it never hurts to check. :lol: I certainly understand venting!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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