Question for pitbull lady

[ballpython2]

pitbull lady what do you think about that show on animal planet CALLED "pit bulls and parolees"?
do you like it?
you dislike it?

just wanted to know your opinion because i love this breed of dog but cant own one my self because it would make my mothers home owner insurance go up etc

And you obviously have a big space in your heart especially for this breed (not saying you dont like other breeds)

I've only seen this show once but i instantly took a liking to it...You may know some behind the scene stuff i dont.

I remember one episode the lady said it cost $700 a DAY to run that place. I was like geez!

Also what are your thoughts on mike vick going back to the NFL?

(if anyone else comments on the Michael Vick question don't start bashing him because you don't agree just intelligently share your opinion on the situation - thank you)

 

[Avicularia Man]

pitbull lady what do you think about that show on animal planet CALLED "pit bulls and parolees"?
do you like it?
you dislike it?

just wanted to know your opinion because i love this breed of dog but cant own one my self because it would make my mothers home owner insurance go up etc

And you obviously have a big space in your heart especially for this breed (not saying you dont like other breeds)

I've only seen this show once but i instantly took a liking to it...You may know some behind the scene stuff i dont.

I remember one episode the lady said it cost $700 a DAY to run that place. I was like geez!

Also what are your thoughts on mike vick going back to the NFL?

(if anyone else comments on the Michael Vick question don't start bashing him because you don't agree just intelligently share your opinion on the situation - thank you)

You might want to try actually PMing the person.


As for Micheal Vick being back in the NFL...I think it has made me like the NFL. I think it shows the people in charge have no morals. And I will not buy a pair of Nike shoes because they sponsor him. I am not a fan of the breed, but I also don't hate them. I just wouldn't ever own one. I don't believe in dog fighting at all.

P.S. I also think he should have served a way longer prison sentence.

 

[ballpython2]

You might want to try actually PMing the person.


As for Micheal Vick being back in the NFL I think it has made me like the NFL less. I think it shows the people in charge of the NFL have no morals. And I will not buy a pair of Nike shoes because they sponsor him. I am not a fan of the breed, but I also don't hate them. I just wouldn't ever own one. I don't believe in dog fighting at all.

I hope you arent confusing the breed by thinking ppl have them for dog fights. these dogs actually make GREAT family pets when properly trained and socialized with people and other pets early on in their life.

And I really doubt anyone on this board is a fan of dog fighting of any breed.

And we all make mistakes in life so this was Vick's I dont see why he should be permanently banned from his passion for making a mistake. however if he was to make the same MISTAKE again and the NFL let him back that would definitely make me think twice about how the higher ups think

I also made this a public post because many people like these dogs and watch animal planet so they can comment on it also, i didnt wanna not add ppl just because its directly to only one person.

 

[Avicularia Man]

I hope you arent confusing the breed by thinking ppl have them for dog fights. these dogs actually make GREAT family pets when properly trained and socialized with people and other pets early on in their life.

And I really doubt anyone on this board is a fan of dog fighting of any breed.

And we all make mistakes in life so this was Vick's I dont see why he should be permanently banned from his passion for making a mistake. however if he was to make the same MISTAKE again and the NFL let him back that would definitely make me think twice about how the higher ups think

I also made this a public post because many people like these dogs and watch animal planet so they can comment on it also, i didnt wanna not add ppl just because its directly to only one person.

I know about 20 different people with pits, I know not all (not most actually) fight them. I wouldn't own one because I have seen pit attacks on the news way to much for my comfort. I have kids, so they are a no go for me. It's fine if others want to chance it. It is their kids that will get attacked if it decides to turn, not mine. I even saved a kids life once from my brother in law's pit. He wasn't home, I came over with my family to visit (should have called first, but he lives so close anyways). His son was home, he opened the door to talk to me and the pit ran out and attacked a little boy that was standing beside my car. And I don't mean attack as in bite and run off. He had the kid by the ass and was shaking the hell out of him. My brother in law's son kept screaming at the dog, but it ignored him. I jumped out of the car and yelled at the dog to get him off the kid. I told the kid to get on the roof of my car and then called the police and animal control. The dog was put down. They are over protective and have a bad habit of attacking kids that come over to play with the owners kids. When the kids are playing together, the pit has a bad habit of thinking their owners are being attacked and in turn attack the kids that was playing with the kids that live there. Again, I don't hate the breed, I just wouldn't own one. Oh and the kid had to get a crap load of stitches.

 

[ArachnoYak]

As far as pit bulls are concerned, it's not a breed I would own but when I see one I show it just as much love as any other animal. They probably do make great pets if raised in the right environment.
And as for Micheal Vick, it's amazing how many people are shocked when professional athletes get charged with violent offenses or commit crimes. Most athletes are fasttracked through high schools and colleges as long as they're producing numbers for the team. A lot of these athletes have other students doing their work for them, and education and being an outstanding global citizen is not high on their priority list. It's baffling how people put these athletes on a pedestal simply because of their athleticism and the special treatment they're given. To sum it all up, what I'm saying is athletes aren't the cream of the crop mentally to begin with, so don't be surprised when they do something that most of us think is stupid. It comes naturally to them. Time to put more emphasis on academics and less emphasis on making the team.

Here's a good example:

[YOUTUBE]dI890FPB2Lc[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Avicularia Man]

[YOUTUBE]dI890FPB2Lc[/YOUTUBE]

I couldn't understand a damn thing he said. Was he drunk or something?

 

[ArachnoYak]

I couldn't understand a damn thing he said. Was he drunk or something?

I don't think he was drunk, he just possesses the typical athlete vocabulary.

[YOUTUBE]1F4W0R1Zr_8[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Avicularia Man]

I don't think he was drunk, he just possesses the typical athlete vocabulary.

[YOUTUBE]1F4W0R1Zr_8[/YOUTUBE]

Yeah lol, I have seen that movie. Funny clip.

 

[Teal]

Even though my screenname isn't "pitbulllady" I am going to answer this because I have been involved in Pit Bulls for almost 10 years.

I haven't seen the AP show, because I have personally visited the facility the show is about. They are a no kill shelter that tries to "rehabilitate" human aggressive dogs - which is not doing anyone a damn bit of good. Tia, who owns and runs Villalobos, has very skewed views of pit bulls and their intentions.. she regularly has dogs available labeled "For serious owners/handlers only" because of their aggression - any dog like that that I encountered, would get a bullet to the brain.

American Pit Bull Terriers were bred for dog aggression, NOT human aggression.
A human aggressive dog should be shot. But, people are stupid and when idiots get ahold of these dogs all hell breaks loose.

It's not "all in how you raise them" - if your dog is genetically unsound, that's all there is to it. But - dogs do not "turn" and attack randomly for no reason. You always here "He was fine before this, and then suddenly out of nowhere attacked" - THAT IS NOT TRUE.
What you have there, are people owning dogs who know nothing about dog body language and aren't seeing the VERY clear warning signs the dog is giving.
I have evaluated countless videos of dogs that "bit for no reason without warning" and was able to pinpoint exactly when the dog started to get annoyed, gave first, second, and sometimes even third warnings before biting.. that no one else saw, because they are looking at the dog from a human's perspective instead of reading dog body language.

Avicularia Man - everything in your post that you wrote as your knowledge of the breed, are stereotypes that are continually perpetuated by folks like you that keep passing them on instead of doing proper research. Yes, what you've seen with your own eyes is bad - but those were all examples of the breed that should have been shot.

A properly bred, sound pit bull is the safest dog to have around children because they have an in-bred pain tolerance higher than other breeds. You can tug on them, step on them, etc. without causing a pain reaction, just as growling or snapping... that most other breeds would give. This is important with a child who is still learning how to be gentle with a dog.

From the time my son was born, he's lived with a dozen different pit bull type dogs (and continues to do so). Proper training on both sides, and proper supervision ensures that everyone is safe.

In the proper circle of pit bulls... there is NO tolerane for any sort of human aggression.
These are not guard dogs, either... I don't expect, or want, my pit bulls to guard the house against strangers - and they don't. You could walk onto my property, straight into my house and you'd be greeted by a pack of smiling, wagging pit bulls scrambling to be the first to get your attention (but mind the chihuahua and boston terrier...!). Of course, that's only if I am around... if not, my dogs are properly secured seperately because leaving dogs alone together is irresponsible (but that's another topic).. but hypothetically, if I wasn't around and you were able to encounter my entire pack of dogs... that's what would happen.

If you compare the number of pit bulls/mixes/etc. owned, to the number of news stories... you'd laugh. Not to mention - it LOOKS like a lot of "pit bulls" attack because there aren't news stories on any other breeds that make national headlines.
Other dog breeds attack much more often... you just don't hear about it.

And then you have the issue of people not even being able to properly identify an American pit bull terrier. The term "pit bull", to the general public, collectively covers any short haired, box headed, somewhat muscley dog out there... or the giant, overdone blue monsters ("Am Bullies").

As far as Michael Vick... I won't even go there.
He isn't a real "dog fighter" (which isn't even the proper term) - he's such a sorry excuse for one, he makes real "dog fighters" (the proper term is dogmen) look like angels.

 

[Avicularia Man]

Avicularia Man - everything in your post that you wrote as your knowledge of the breed, are stereotypes that are continually perpetuated by folks like you that keep passing them on instead of doing proper research. Yes, what you've seen with your own eyes is bad - but those were all examples of the breed that should have been shot.

Well if checking a lot of dog books out from my local library to read up on dogs to decide which dog I want isn't research, then please tell me what is. What I typed about Pits attacking kids that come over to play with the kids that live in the house came from these books.

There will always be people on both sides of the fence when it comes to this breed. I stand in the middle. I don't hate them, but at the same time, I won't own them. When I see one, I am just as friendly towards it as I am towards every other breed out there that I meet.

 

[Teal]

I'd love to know what titles and authors wrote such stories... not everything you read in books is true, wouldn't you agree?

It doesn't count as doing research, if you aren't looking at reliable resources.

Yes, there will be people on both sides of the fence... there are several breeds of dog I wouldn't own, but that's because I know the facts about the breed and they aren't my type of dog (like, toy breeds for example).

I'll find you links to stories about other dog breed attacks.. you'd be surprised.

Like the pomeranian who ripped open a little boy's face.
Or the Siberian husky that killed a baby in the crib.
Or the golden retriever that bit off two of a man's fingers.

That's fine if you don't want to own pit bulls... it's frustrating and annoying, that you don't want to own them because you are buying into the stereotypes and myths about them.

 

[Ariel]

I'm just going to add that, even a lot of those "Pit bull" attacks arn't even pitbulls. I don't know how many articles I've read where they go on anout this "pit bull" and the picture of said dog is something else entirely. I remember one instance where the dogs that acctually attacked had been two cane corsos! I don't know how you can even confused those breeds! but they were. :wall:

 

[Teal]

That is why I love the "Find the Pit Bull" internet games, where a lot of breeds commonly mistaken for "pit bulls" are listed... you'd be surprised at how wrong people can be about a dog's breed!

 

[Ariel]

That is why I love the "Find the Pit Bull" internet games, where a lot of breeds commonly mistaken for "pit bulls" are listed... you'd be surprised at how wrong people can be about a dog's breed!

i don't know a ton about pit bulls, but I really like the breed, and I know them when I see 'em. We've got a ton that come into the clinic i work at. Most of them really are pit bulls (even if their owner says their something else to by pass the local laws ) and some just arn't pits no matter what their owner might want to think.

kind of like the "German shepherd" that came it that looked EXACTLY like a dingo.

 

[Teal]

Ya gotta love when the owner doesn't even know what their own dog is!
That happens to me all the time, someone else trying to tell me what my dog is or what their dog is when they are completely off.

I completely abhore people who know what they have, and call it something else trying to fool people. Disgusting! My dogs are Pit Bulls and I am damn proud of it - they visit nursing homes and hospitals to brighten up patients' days and provide comfort... I want Pit Bulls to get that credit that my dogs are providing, not some random breed!

Not to mention, you're putting your dog at risk by lying about the breed... because it doesn't matter what YOU call it, anyways, it matters what ACO thinks!

 

[Ariel]

Yeah, I've seen all kind of stories, and you can always tell when they're lying about it. I've seen pit bulls as "lab mixes" "boston terrier mixes" some people genuinly don't know, but other really just lie about it because they don't want to have to use a muzzle on their dog, or pay $50 to put their dog through the training course.

 

[Teal]

Our local shelter for awhile was even getting in on it, calling any pit bull type dog a "staffordshire mix" - which drives me NUTS because "staffordshire" isn't even a breed!

I honestly don't know which is sadder - owners who honestly don't know their dog isn't a "boston terrier mix" or the ones who do, and continue to call it such.

 

[Ariel]

Our local shelter for awhile was even getting in on it, calling any pit bull type dog a "staffordshire mix" - which drives me NUTS because "staffordshire" isn't even a breed!

I honestly don't know which is sadder - owners who honestly don't know their dog isn't a "boston terrier mix" or the ones who do, and continue to call it such.

honestly, people who know it is and keeps lying about it, at least in my opinion. Unless they're the kind of people that honestly don't know, and then think your an idiot, or get all angry when you try to correct them.

 

[pitbulllady]

Well if checking a lot of dog books out from my local library to read up on dogs to decide which dog I want isn't research, then please tell me what is. What I typed about Pits attacking kids that come over to play with the kids that live in the house came from these books.

There will always be people on both sides of the fence when it comes to this breed. I stand in the middle. I don't hate them, but at the same time, I won't own them. When I see one, I am just as friendly towards it as I am towards every other breed out there that I meet.

"Checking out books in a library" is more or less like reading a newspaper-you get a very slanted POV from someone who has NO personal experience with the subject matter first-hand, but who is simply passing along what "They"(ah, we all know what "They" say about tarantulas, don't we, so it must all be TRUE, right, Avicularia Man?). This is NOT "research". Research means talking with people who DO have considerable first-hand experience with the subject matter in question, and in this case, it would mean owners, breeders, veterianarians, dog trainers, groomers who have owned or cared for many "pit bulls" over the years. If I want to find out if a Ford Fusion is a good, reliable car, who should I talk to, someone who's driven one for some time, or a Chevrolet dealer?

Keep in mind that the term "pit bull" does NOT apply to any one breed of dog, but is a catch-phrase that applies to any and all short-coated, muscular dogs, who might or might not have any "bully" breed in their background, and is often applied to any dog that does something bad or something interpretted as "bad", again, regardless of the dog's genetic background. One of the janitors at my school made the comment a couple of years ago, after a pack of starving Coonhounds(the news report showed the dogs, complete with their long, long floppy ears and long, narrow pointy muzzles)got out of their make-shift chicken wire pen and attacked a woman after she ran away from them, screaming(BAD idea-almost guaranteed to provoke an attack from probably 99% of the dogs on the planet)-the janitor said, "if my &^%$ CAT bit somebody and the newspaper got ahold of it, they'd call it a 'pit bull'!" She's pretty accurate in that statement, since unless a dog is of such a different breed, like a Poodle, for instance, those reporting the incident will inevitably call it a "pit bull". AND, if the breed IS something very different, they often won't mention the breed at all. Accounts of other types of dogs biting, attacking or killing people usually get relegated to some back page news, while "pit bull"-related incidents make front-page headlines, and when you add to that the FACT that MOST dog attacks, even those with no witnesses other than the victim, are blamed on this non-existant "breed", it makes the ignorant masses believe that there is this killer breed of monster canine out there, the dreaded Pit Bull, that is responsible for a disproportionate number of attacks on people.

I will second everything that Teal has already told you about the American Pit Bull Terrier, which as you will see, I refer to as APBT's, NOT as "pit bulls". I will also emphasize what he said about dogs attacking "without warning". IT JUST DOES NOT HAPPEN! Dogs, regardless of breed, give PLENTY of warnings prior to taking that first bite; people are often just too ignorant of dog behavior to see it! People, led by the Animal Rights cultists, have been brain-washed into thinking that dogs and other pets are little people on four legs, and that as equal "beings", they should logically be capable of the same moral and ethical judgements that we ourselves can make, and should therefore give HUMAN signals as to their intentions. There is an old African proverb which is very, very true-"Never treat a dog like a man, or it will treat YOU like a dog". Dogs are NOT "family members", but rather, WE are their "pack". When we fail to realize this, and fail to look for CANINE rather than HUMAN signals, tragedies result.

Some True-False questions for ya, Avicularia Man(and anyone else who wants to have a go at 'em):
Question Number One: A dog that is wagging its tail is a friendly dog and won't bite.
Question Number Two: A dog that is showing its teeth is vicious, and is about to attack.
Question Number Three: A dog is displaying affection when it stands up on its back legs, puts its paws on your shoulders, and gazes into your face.

That said, I do not watch Animal Planet anymore. I haven't watched that channel in quite some time, and I would not be upset if my satallite dish provider dropped it completely. Animal Planet is controlled by the Animal Rights movement and is the sounding board of the HSUS and PETA. Its programming has focused on sensationalism and the absence of facts or presentation of a balanced view. The network gives credence to people like Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd, a group which operates under the "Jolly Roger" flag, whose leader has called for the mass killing of six BILLION human beings in order to "save the planet". Their programming is NOT fair or balanced, and typically paints people like us, like YOU, people who choose to keep animals that are not dogs and cats but are considered "exotic", as mentally ill egomaniacs who are putting the public at great risk in order to indulge our egos. I can pass no judgement call on the program you specifically mentioned, since like I said, I will not watch Animal Planet anymore. They are one of the greatest enemies to those of us who have snakes, arachnids, or any other "controversial" animal, and one of the biggest allies of the AR movement. To support them would be cutting off my own nose to spite my face.

As for Michael Vick, he's just one of hundreds of thousands of people just like him; the only difference is he was rich and well-known. I don't care if NFL takes him back or not, honestly. It bothers me MUCH more that he is now the darling of the HSUS, rubbing elbows with people who want to KILL EVERY LAST "PIT BULL" ON THE PLANET, and indeed, want to wipe out ALL domesticated animals, period. The hypocracy there is overwhelming. These people, along with PETA, DEMANDED that every last one of Vick's dogs be destroyed, although the HSUS did first try to raise money off them by begging for donations to "care" for those dogs after the seizure, even though they did not have ONE SINGLE dog of Vick's, nor were they responsible for their care at all! Once their bluff was called, and a judge ordered them to cease asking for money to "care for the Vick dogs", THEN they demanded that the dogs be killed. It honestly bothers me more that Vick would associate with THEM, but I guess this proves the old adage, "birds of a feather stick together". Vick's dog-killing record pales in comparison to that of "Don" Wayne Pacelli and the HSUS. Vick only killed his own dogs; Wayne and Co, along with that psycho Ingrid Newkirk, want to kill MINE as well, so I tend to look at the Michael Vick issue with that perspective.

pitbulllady

 

[Teal]

I'll give em a go

Question Number One: A dog that is wagging its tail is a friendly dog and won't bite.
This is dependant on the position and speed of the tail wag... a tail that is up, stiff, and wagging furiously is a sign of aggression or dominance. A tail that is carried low and wagging easily, is a sign of a friendly dog. A tail tucked close to the butt and wagging fast at the tip is fearful, but friendly.

Question Number Two: A dog that is showing its teeth is vicious, and is about to attack.
This is dependant on the rest of the dog's body language. Submissive dogs will "smile" showing their teeth while crouching and give low, friendly tail wags. Fearful dogs, or dogs trying to put on a show, are the ones to usually snarl.
Raising if the lips is a warning that you're getting on a dog's nerves.

Question Number Three: A dog is displaying affection when it stands up on its back legs, puts its paws on your shoulders, and gazes into your face.
I would take this would be a challenge... the dog is trying to dominant you physically with its legs, and staring you down.