US Listeners please look at this-

[Mrsnanomaker]

please sign this! http://www.petitiononline.com/savepits/petition.html
pit bulls are not a mean breed its how they are raised. this is a stupid law that is brought on because of people that mistreat and breed pits for bad things my pitbull is the sweetest thing ever.

[Nicodar]

Yup agree with ya on the point it is how the dog is raised. Seen a pit raised for fighting that was mean. And seen a pit treated like any other dog act like a big ol puppy.

[Dynamiks]

I have also seen both sides of the more aggressive dog breeds.. in particular Boxers. (My boxer named Jack is my 2nd boxer)

Now to a true story of a friend who had to have his pit bull terrier destroyed through no fault of his own..

The dog was as lovable as they come, brought up around the kids from a puppy - now there is where the problem came from.. Dogs are very very possesive animals and very protective of their "pack"

So the young fella had a friend over after school and they were kicking a football around and just being kids... kicking turned into a little harmless horseplay which the dog read as an attack on his pack... It attacked the boys mate savagely mauling him - and would not let go.. The boy panicked (as anyone would) and literally tore his own arm to shreds trying to get it out of the dogs mouth.

The result was a destroyed extremely docile (normally), friendly and playful dog, a boy with only about 80% use of his left arm, and a shattered family.

So the moral? - Yes the more aggressive dogs can be extremely docile, lovable and friendly... but they can also turn given a seemingly normal situation ... Caution should really really be used anytime they are exposed to people or dogs they do not know.

[Suue]

People outside the city of Denver shouldn't be participating anyway. If its a local mandate, its something that community will have to deal with.

I didn't spend a whole lot of time looking into it, but I'd be willing to bet both my heads of cabbage that there is more to it than someone deciding to pass a law on a whim.

Edit: Ahhh... I see why now. (paste job) Denver banned pit bulls in 1989 after dogs mauled a minister and killed a boy in separate attacks. The Legislature passed a law in 2004 that prohibited breed-specific bans, but the city sued and a judge ruled in April the law was an unconstitutional violation of local control.

Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-07-20-denver-pit-bull_x.htm?csp=34

[Firia]

Hey, fantastic investigative work there Suue. ^_^

I feel half and half about the community desision thing. I know its something really for the locals to decide. But this law is really banking on the lame end. Had to combat stupid laws.

[Nexeus]

The Legislature passed a law in 2004 that prohibited breed-specific bans, but the city sued and a judge ruled in April the law was an unconstitutional violation of local control.

Erm... isn't that contradictory? I mean isn't is unconstitutional to ban an owner from owning a type of domesticated animal? It's kinda like banning television, isn't that unconstitutional?

[Nicodar]

The Legislature passed a law in 2004 that prohibited breed-specific bans, but the city sued and a judge ruled in April the law was an unconstitutional violation of local control.

Erm... isn't that contradictory? I mean isn't is unconstitutional to ban an owner from owning a type of domesticated animal? It's kinda like banning television, isn't that unconstitutional?

But there are already law on the books prohibiting what type of animal a person can own.

[Suue]

Erm... isn't that contradictory? I mean isn't is unconstitutional to ban an owner from owning a type of domesticated animal? It's kinda like banning television, isn't that unconstitutional?

I think the key word is domesticated. Clearly, if an animal of any sorts ripps out ones throat, you'd have to re-evaluate the domesticated part.

My thought on this is this, if the ban started in 1989, any puppy born then is now 15 -16 year old range, depending on the date the law was passed blah blah. Pits live an average of 12 years. Sometimes more, but I dont think I've ever heard of one living in the range we're talking. If a family, right now, has their dog taken away.. it means they decided to hell with the law, they are getting what they want. I have no sympathy for them, break the law.. and pay the price.

As far as if the law is right or not, I think a persons right to live without fear of possible attack (and yes folks, pits do have that rep for a reason, dont try and fool yourself.) supperceeds the right to own whatever sort of critter you or someone else might want.

And I am a dog lover. I own a dog and I love my dog. My dog is spoiled more than most peoples children. I still agree with the Denver law. I would rather see the prospective dog owners 'settle' with a pekeneese, than have to explain to some mother that because family X fought for their rights to own an animal, that little johnny isn't going to be coming home any more.

[Psyloche]

Well, dogs got needs as we do, need to learn how to behave, how to meet others, etc. What is the most fierce dog breed i know of?
http://www.norsklapphundklubb.com/hunder.shtml

Its an sweedish breed, and two finish. Its an dog breed who was originally family dogs of an native population of north scandinavia, half nomadic reindeer herders, and protecting livestock agaisnt wolf. Also exellent hunting dogs agaisnt moose and elk, and terrific family dogs.
And they got an INSANE inborn tendency of going totally "wowowwowowow WOOOOOOOWWOOOOOWOWOWWOW" so soon they see anything. They CAN appear aggresive, but is not it, exept if its something wrong.

Dont think it got an english name even, its scandinavian name is Lapphund, Lapp, is an old name of the Sami, hund is dog. It could be translated samidog, or something.
And i really doubt its much different than an plain Pitbull, all dogs can bite.
And the pitch black dogs in the link with curly tail is the most common of the 3 breeds, and the one im fond of.

[Mrsnanomaker]

it really does depend on how a pit is handled if you rough house with them they can become agressive.

[Thebigghost999]

I live near Denver , And i think they actually changed it. Now you go get a license for your dog making sure its not violent then your perfectly fine. I think that should be in place for all dogs and stop singling breeds out

[Ichyro]

Pitbulls are far less dangerous than...say...guns.

If you raise a person in a rough house and they have a gun, then your just asking for trouble too.

[Keviedarque]

I am sorry but I have a hard time being able to sign this...I was mauled but a pit bull once and now stand terrifed to death of the breed to the point I won't go near anyoen house that owns a pit at all incduling my uncle. I am sure like most breeds pit can be teh most gentale breed u ever meet, but it is trule the only breed I am teffired to death of as a 23 year old I will go to all extrmetmes to ADVOID this one breed.

[Suue]

Pitbulls are far less dangerous than...say...guns.

If you raise a person in a rough house and they have a gun, then your just asking for trouble too.

Not even a close comparison. A gun, while dangerous, is nothing more than a tool. Should a person be so inclined the same could be said for chainsaws (jack my lumber ... baybee...), icepicks, and toilet bowl brushes.

An animal, is a living sentient creature, with its on personality traits, that while can be trained... will still revert back to instinct when the little light switch in its brain gets triggered.

I dont think I've ever read a story where a gun saw two children playing in the yard, mistook its master for being under attack, jumped out of the drawer ran outside and shot the other child all by itself.

Also, there are guns laws in place as well. If you are caught with an illeagel weapon, they will confiscate and destroy your gun. Break the rules, pay the price.

[Chaimera]

everyone here has made some good points, i have a pitbull as well, and i would take a pit over ANY breed out there, and now aside from that, its not just pits that bite, its EVERY dog that can/will bite, we are talking about ANIMALS, not people, yes some breeds are more prone to bite, like dalmations, rots, jack russel terriers...... whatever the breed if you are going to own a dog, you must be responsible, do research on the breed before bringing one home, you cant blame a dog for protecting a member of its "pack" you have to blame the owners for not keeping an eye on the ANIMAL. i for one will sign that petition, because it should be our right to own whatever animal makes us happy, but we have to be ready to pay the consequenses if something goes bad

[Lauri]

Pit Bulls suffer from a very unique problem; their ancestry.

There are so many lines of Pit Bulls out there.. and many of those lines suffered during the crazily popular dog-fighting era(s). Pit Bulls(and other dogs that were/are exploited like this) in these environments were specifically bred to a) handle the violence b) dish it out & c) be loyal only to Man. The last point is more important, and the only one I'm glad that decent Pit breeders still adhere to, without extremes of Pit-fighting. We almost got a Pit a year and a half ago, until we found out that one of the man's puppies killed another of his litter. He had them ALL put down, because he's a responsible breeder. Sadly, dog-aggression is common in a lot of Pits.

This bad breeding made the Pit Bull that many are afraid of today. Not every Pit Bull will maul your 3 year old kid. Just like not every Golden Retriever will be a sweet caring protector. Just like a chihuaha can help maul a grandmother(true story), no one should leave their kids at home alone with a Pit in heat, and with an intact, aka "unneutered", Pit(also true story).

The line of dog heavily affects the output of any breed of litter. Not many backyard Pit owners know this, and will purchase a Pit from the local freak who posts his phone number on a Taco Bell menu. Color, size, show-quality specs are not the only things that are contained in that DNA; so is temperment.

Pits can be a great dog for anyone... but just like every other dog, a potential owner must definitely do their research, yes. Pits you just have to do even more research on since they've suffered being man-handled by humanity, stupidity, and the media.

[Chaimera]

well said Lauri

[Darth Bootay]

Outlawing specific breeds or animals is a ridiculous thing to do. The problems people seek to avoid by such extreme measures are not created by the animal, but by the owners, and can be avoided by the responsible.

If one feels completely compelled to legislate such a thing, perhaps the more sensible course would be to require pet owners to become licensed to own the animal they wish to keep, much as those who own and handle raptors are required to do.

Unfortunately, our society is lazy and fingerpointing is a favorite hobby. It's easy to point the finger at an animal, which cannot defend itself against our systems. It takes effort to be a good, responsible and humane companion to an animal, which has no way to understand our definitions of right and wrong, legal and illegal. The burden of care and of caution is OURS.

I've been mauled by a dog before. Badly enough that I required hospitalization. I will never have the full range of motion or any of my former strength in my left hand again. But I don't blame the dog that did it to me. I blame both the owner and myself for this accident. And no, the dog was no pit bull. It was one of those sweet, cuddly chinese wrinkle dogs. As far as I know, he's still alive today, which is as it should be.

[FoxyJama]

http://www.norsklapphundklubb.com/hunder.shtml

Just FYI this breed is known as the Norwegian Elkhound in the US.

Because I have very very very strong feelings regarding breed-specific regulations and could talk on the subject all day long, I'll chose to keep my mouth shut and just sign the petition.

My family owns Pits (AmStaffs, actually) and I would trust my life to any one of them. Pits are bred to be both protective, and dog/dog aggressive. Any responsible owner has to be aware of these facts and handle their animal accordingly.

It is not the government's place to do that for us.

[Oddysee]

*cough* walking example here *cough*

I had half my face torn to shreds by a dog I'd known for 6 years...
A series of unfortunate circumstances, and me not reading the animal (which is what it is... An animal, it is not capable of being neither good nor evil. It just is) which led to 4 hours of emergency surgery, and having my aye popped back into my skull...

The end result. A tiny scar over my right eye.
The dog? Never pressed charges. It was as much mine as it's fault... Never did anything since.

Fact is, paranoia and human error count for 98% of all dog related accidents. You walk into a dogs home. You confront the people there with a loud voice... And you wonder why it reacted?

You attempt to pet a dog. You do so with a flat hand, from above... For an animal with a less than perfect eye sight... This looks like someone striking it. It reacts...

People need to act the fuck up and realize that when nature attacks... Nine out of ten times, we fucked up.


Tm