The process of erasing all distinctions among subspecies is moving to its next logical phase: Breed-denial. The city of Medford Oregon is considering a ban on pit bulls and some people are in a tizzy over it.
A Medford woman, who has started a petition to prevent the ban, writes:
My pit bull, Smokey, is just like my son. So when the City Council of Medford, Oregon, proposed a ban on pit bulls on the grounds that they’re a dangerous breed, I started a petition asking Medford not to propose such an extreme measure. Prevent a discriminating ban against pit bulls in Medford OR. …
I’ve owned Smokey for the past five years. Pit bulls are truly loving and playful animals when they are raised right. When the Medford City Council recently proposed an outright ban on pit bulls and a measure requiring them to be sterilized, I had to take action.
I started a petition on Care2 asking the Medford City Council to do the right thing and call a halt to any plans to ban pit bulls. Click here to sign my petition.
According to the Medford police, there have been 89 dog attacks in the past few years with just about half involving pit bulls. Calling for a ban on one particular breed unfairly stereotypes them as violent and aggressive. Dogs like pit bulls and other “bully breeds” are no more vicious than any others.
When pit bulls act aggressively, the problem is that their owners have been irresponsible. There is actually proof that dogs are what their owners make them. In testing done by the American Temperament Test Society, the American Pit Bull Terrier scored 86.8% on their temperament rating scale, beating out the Golden Retriever, who scored an 85.2%. When a pit bull acts aggressively, it’s the owners who are responsible, not their animals.
The ban on pit bulls and other “bully breeds” proposed by the Medford City Council is discriminatory. It is simply a step in the wrong direction and will not prevent animal attacks. The real solution is to create measures under which owners would face stricter penalties, if their animals were involved in any incidents.
Notice her use of the words “discrimination” and “stereotyping.” She takes the typical liberal position (which might be true in this case) that a dog’s temperament is the result of nurture, not nature.
In other words, she’s treating Pit Bulls in much the same way the Establishment treats blacks. They’re not violent by nature; it’s environmental factors, such as racism and the legacy of slavery, that make them so.
I’m not an expert on dogs, but I do have a friend who owns a Pit Bull. In fact, he even wrote a post about them for this blog. When that dog was a puppy, it was the cutest thing in the world; absolutely adorable. Now that it’s grown, it’s frighteningly powerful. The dog never threatened me in any way; it can sense that I’m a friend. But I wouldn’t want to be the target of its aggression, if there were some sort of misunderstanding or unusual situation. Those jaws are capable of doing great damage.
It’s odd that, while Tyler Woodard (the author of the above petition) denies any genetic difference in violent proclivities among breeds, she does appear to recognize the American Temperament Test Society’s testing. Here’s what the society has to say about dog temperament:
What is temperament?
W. Handel, German Police Dog Trainer, in his article, “The Psychological Basis of Temperament Testing,” defines temperament as:
“the sum total of all inborn and acquired physical and mental traits and talents which determines, forms and regulates behavior in the environment”
The ATTS test focuses on and measures different aspects of temperament such as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness as well as the dog’s instinct for protectiveness towards its handler and/or self-preservation in the face of a threat. The test is designed for the betterment of all breeds of dogs and takes into consideration each breed’s inherent tendencies.
In other words, there are inherent differences in temperament between breeds. Glancing through the testing statistics, on the society’s website, I noticed that breeds that were tested only a few times seem to have erroneous scores. If a breed was tested only twice, and failed once, its score is only 50%, as is the case with the Alaskan Klee Kai. They should have omitted breeds that were tested less than 100 times or so.
Furthermore, the temperament test only measures the dog’s reaction to various scenarios. It does not measure the overall danger it poses to people. I may be wrong, but I doubt many breeds can match the American Pit Bull when it comes to sheer jaw power. Would readers who are dog experts please tell us if the Pit Bull’s more powerful jaws, and muscular frame, make it overall more dangerous than Golden Retrievers, even if both have about the same temperament?
On another note, though I’m an animal-lover, it bothers me to see people (mostly white people) treating their pets as if they’re their children. A pet is not a good substitute for your own flesh and blood. That Woodard can state that her dog is “just like her son” without raising eyebrows reveals the rot in our society. This is one reason the number of whites is declining in America: People are having pets instead of children. It’s pitiful.
” …it bothers me to see people (mostly white people) treating their pets as if they’re their children.”
It vexes me to see wealthy Whites, particularly men, with their little, froufrou toy dogs, which frequently have taken the place of children, grandchildren and friends.
I have seen a few tough looking truck drivers (18 wheelers) with 5 pound Yorkies and Chihuahuas as navigators. Their children were home with mom.
What’s wrong with wealthy men having toy dogs or is your distaste caused by having dogs rather than children?
I agree that some people go overboard with their pets but I would rather see them lavishing their attention on an animal than adopting an African child such as Mitt Romney or any number of celibritards have done.
“I agree that some people go overboard with their pets but I would rather see them lavishing their attention on an animal than adopting an African child such as Mitt Romney or any number of celibritards have done.”
African children: The Ultimate SWPL Pet.
And of course there is a strong crossover between pitbull ownership and NAM vibrancy. Medford, Oregon is Mexico’s newest colony.
Want a dog breed with real racial implications? Get a Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Comparing a Pit Bull to a Golden Retriever is rather humorous. Golden Retrievers invite burglars into their houses, hand over the jewels, and serve refreshments, too. But, Goldens do bite, just as ALL dogs under the right circumstances.
This is what ASPCA says:
“Sadly, the pit bull has acquired a reputation as an unpredictable and dangerous menace. His intimidating appearance has made him attractive to people looking for a macho status symbol, and this popularity has encouraged unscrupulous breeders to produce puppies without maintaining the pit bull’s typical good nature with people, i.e., POOR BREEDING. To make matters worse, irresponsible owners interested in presenting a tough image often encourage their pit bulls to behave aggressively. If a pit bull does bite, he’s far more likely to inflict serious injuries than most other breeds, simply because of his size and strength.”
“a dog’s temperament is the result of nurture, not nature.” It’s both.
The Pit Bulls I have met were wimps, very friendly, rolled over for a belly rub, but all of the owners were White and nice people. At the Vet last week, there were 7 well behaved full grown Pit Bulls, one walking around saying “Hello” to everyone with his leash dragging behind him.
German Shepherds and Rottweilers are not wimps.
“People are having pets instead of children. It’s pitiful.”
Dogs behave as children, require care, not nearly as much as children, but are a responsibility; therefore, I understand why folks view them as children or at least family members.
Why are there so many bites in this community and none in mine and the surrounding area? Would knowing the races and ethnicities of Pit Bull owners whose dogs were involved in the bites give us the answer?
Regulations and laws such as this, banning Pit Bulls, do annoy me, because they discriminate against the majority due to an irresponsible few.
Interesting data on dog breeds:
http://sociobiologicalmusings.blogspot.com/2011/09/dog-iq-how-smart-is-your-dog.html
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Pit Bulls from fighting lnes are selectively bred (called “gamebred”) for
psychotic behavior. So you’re really taking a chance if you get an APBT with an unverified pedigree/family history.
Lots of interesting info:
http://thetruthaboutpitbulls.blogspot.com/2012/01/culling-manbiters-and-desecrating-truth.html
http://thetruthaboutpitbulls.blogspot.com/2012/01/culling-manbiters-and-desecrating-truth.html
When I see the last two words above” gripping dogs” I know this is straight from the DBO site and it sounds just like crazeen, a woman who calls all of our dogs “mutants”. These dogs are just fine if they are trained and treated the right way. No amount of dbo rhetoric will ever change that fact. These are good dogs. The paragraph above was written by a person with a grudge against the breed because of one dog that was startled when she ran up on it in 2006. That s a long time to hold a grudge. Only people that are not stable will hold anger for that long. BSL has never been effective anywhere anyhow. It is actually being repealed in more cities than put into effect. I think that Medford is making a HUGE mistake even considering this. Make the owner’s of these dogs responsible, and not the dogs. They are the victims here.
it bothers me to see people (mostly white people) treating their pets as if they’re their children.
There is a phenomenon known as lateral gene transfer, which, it is believed , can occur among eukaryotic organisms. I fear this may be happening in the case of many dog owners who seem not only to resemble their dog in appearance but to display distinctly dog-like aggression, as when for example, their dog sniffing at your heels or slobbering on your clothes is not accorded the same gentle consideration one would accord a two-year-old child.
Another viewpoint on Pit Bulls.
http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=853
How many people have been bitten by a small dog owned by your Grandmother’s best friend? Did you report it to the authorities? NO! Why? Wouldn’t you feel ridiculous showing your needle-point punctures under your tiny bandaid? Pitbulls are loving, cuddly dogs, easily trained, and intelligent. They are however powerful dogs and as such need responsible owners that know not to put their dog in a losing situation. Two chihuahuas take a disliking to each other and get in a tussle at the dog park the owners pick them up in one hand and laugh at their “little dog syndrome” ha, ha, and walk away. This same scenario happens with a pitbull, headlines, vet bills, and talk of city breed bans follow. Is it the dogs fault that we bred it to be strong? No! Is it the dogs fault that we did not take the proper precautions to keep them safe? No! There is no more hostility in a pitbull than in a Chihuahua, merely the capability to cause more damage when improperly handled. My dogs love all people, I have a small white kitten that thinks my 100lb. male pitbull is it’s mom. Truly vicious!!!!
To those to object to people (apparently primarily white) (that’s not biased at at all) who treat their pets like their children: better to love, nurture, and protect our pet than abuse, torture, starve, and use them for blood sport. What a crime to love your pet. Are there no worse injustices you can point out? Really??? Most of the people that have strong negative opinions of pitbulls have never even met a pitbull apparently you just believe whatever you read in the headlines. Truly astute.
If you’re commenting on my original post, then perhaps you should read it again; I make pretty much the same points you do.
As for loving your dog, I’ve got no problem with that. It’s the fact that so many whites are neglecting having kids that bothers me. I want my own kids to grow up in a better world, a world that has more whites (even though they’re not white themselves) – not a global Africa.
Maybe white men have no desire to marry and father children because so many white women see men as walking wallets. Once the kids come along, wee wifey wants to “move on”, and does so after bleeding their captives dry.
A revision in divorce laws and the attitudes of white women might result in more white babies.
Please take the time to read link posted by BAF. He makes some excellent points
There’s an excellent Norwegian documentary that discusses taboo subjects, like the differences in race. Here’s the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOnQPXuU81Q
The numbers seem to indicate that, whether by nature, nurture, or some combination of the two, pitbulls are plenty hazardous.
A couple of years ago, I lived next door to a young couple that owned a pitbull. We lived in the country, and I would take walks in the evenings after I got home from work. The dog usually followed me. He was a pleasant enough companion and quite entertaining, but I was never comfortable around him. Because I was usually the first person he saw in the afternoon, he got pretty excited when he saw me drive up, which led him to jump on me and “play bite” my arm. I could FEEL this dogs weight and the strength of his head when he did that. It scared the hell out of me.
For that reason alone, I was glad to see them move.
I can only comment on my own pit, which my daughter got as a puppy, and promptly turned over to me, because it is a major pain-in-the-tuchas, aside from the issue of aggression. Took over a year to housebreak while destroying every rug in the house, chewing and scratching and tearing through every barrier we put up. A professional may have been able to train him, but I wasn’t. I think there is definitely something to the comment above concerning breeding; this one came from a thug environment and would have been perfect in a junk yard. Fortunately for everyone we have a large fenced-in yard, but I feel terrible about my neighbors small children, and I have to be constantly alert to his whereabouts and keeping all doors closed at all times. He goes nuts when anyone comes to the door and will definitely attack, or at least try to intimidate any stranger. A lawsuit waiting to happen, but so far, so good, knock wood. I have to use muzzle and choke chain to take him to the vets.
With respect to his bite, before he got too fat, I used to have him grab a rope and swing him hard in circles, and I would tire before he would ever let go. When he was very small he once grabbed my T-shirt tail when I stooped down and just hung from my back for about a half hour. His upper palate is grooved such that I believe he could be just as tenacious without teeth. They were bred for grabbing a bull’s throat and never letting go. However he has never bitten anyone and gets along well with our other dogs, including a very small poodle. Submission is not optional, though.
Bottom line is he is far too unpredictable and requires constant vigilance, is not worth the effort or potential trouble, we can’t have any visitors unless we cage him while he barks and howls the entire time, he only respects me because I can slightly out-alpha him and he will always challenge anyway. I only have one friend that isn’t afraid of him and they get along fine. I’d get rid of him in a heart beat, except that I love him like a brother, g-d help me.
Jurisdictions are right to ban them, especially if the owners are not super-responsible, but even then Chaos lurks, and many, many are given up and very few of those are ever adopted. Breeders need to be more responsible, but that will never happen. If you want a dog, get a Lab.
Great blog, BTW!
You say you have had all of these problems with your dog.That’s sad that you never gave him the chance to learn the right way to act. Mine have never acted that way at all. They are friendly, sweet, and love people. I have never had any problems with them. And both are rescues. I have to disagree with banning them. They are good dogs with great heart that are loyal to a fault. They all think they are still puppies. I have trained all kinds of dog in my lifetime. These are some of the easiest and fun dogs there are. You just have to work with their energy level and keep them busy. That is key. They are just like any other dog if you just treat them right.
Black 19 year old rapes two Pit Bulls. This is when you wish you had the meanest Pit Bulls on earth. Evidently, these two were not.
http://youtu.be/UZkm-lgVLBk
As a vegetarian/TNR/animal rights kind of asshole, I’d like to point out that neutering your pets is generally a good idea. I have little sympathy for this woman with the pit bull. Unless you’re a licensed breeder, neuter your pets.
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i am so tired of explaining on petitions why we do not support bans, bsl and everything else pitbull, this i copied and saved .,.hell i just decided it fits anywhere usa , and around the world… lol i think i just saved myself from trying to find words to each petition!!!!!!! so here goes… and just sayin.. ,lol….//////no dog breed needs to be banned…people need to be educated including law officials, courts and local schools to teach the children ..responsibility, compassion and the respect to life…unless you are not willing to ammend the laws to a very obvious problem with byb, puppymills and illeagal fights/gambling… violence to animals.. you are the problem….. not a dog..specifically today this dog now is a pitbull… yesterday you chose to say dobes, shepherds so now you call them aggressive breeds.. .. so excuse me if i am wrong but you have heard this before and it would seem it is falling on your deaf ears..selective hearing i believe thats called… when a system is broken and issues come up… officials like to take the easy way out and remove the problem… we all see this… it is you who takes our voice away by moving on.. making excuses.. and this is the best 1 passing the buck…. so i ask you sincerly …where is the problem and who has control of the solution?????????? if u r not doing a solution that is intelligent , indiscrimanate.. and open to educating communities and supporting shelters abiding to the already laws in place i actually believe you should be banned… not being disrespectful here i am being forth right with genuine concern in how can any intelligent human being..educated believe destroying ”A” breed is a answer.. banning.. or killing????????????????????? more to the point actually ..shame on you
Not at that little blog you got here however you shouldn’t quote somebody unless you know what they actually said and now an update on Smokey he has a brain tumor and is going to die soon. – Tyler Woodard
My condolences.