Sunday, July 19, 2009

Wanted: Responsible and Educated Dog Owners




Pitbulls are unfairly discriminated against.

Every day, perfectly good dogs are put down for no other reason than what they look like.

I am firmly opposed to breed bans.

Having said that, let's recognize that the reason so many people want this breed in their lives is because the dog does look intimidating and is capable of terrible damage, and does have a reputation.

Listen to the very well-done video, above. Is this well-sung song a paen to the Pit Bull, or a subtle celebration of the fact that owning a Pit Bull gets the owner a lot of attention because the dog is intimidating?

Just a question ... Notice the leather jacket, the soul patch, and the prong (pinch) collar on the dog. All fine, but it is part of a look, isn't it? We choose how we look, just as we chose the kind of dog we own. I am not trying to be critical. I am simply observing a truth too rarely said in the Pit Bull Community, which is that a lot of people are attracted to these dogs because they project an aura of intimidation, and instead of trying to lessen that aura, some Pit Bull owners actually accentuate it a little bit, intentionally or not.

Now for an idea (and I have asked this question before): Why not mandate canine responsibility?

If I want to shoot deer or ducks or pheasant, I have to take a state-approved hunter's safety course.

If I want to drive a car, I have to take a state-approved driving course and/or pass a test.

If I want to hunt with hawks, I have to pass a test, do two years as an apprentice, and have my setup inspected.

Why not require that dog owners -- especially owners of large too-often abused breeds like Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds -- be required to take a course on canine responsibility? Why no require it for anyone who breeds dogs as well?

The Pit Bull community is opposed to breed bans. I am too. But let's not act as if there is not a problem with Pit Bulls. There is. They are too easily owned, they are too easily abandoned, and they are large dogs that can do serious damage in the wrong hands.

How about instead of dog owners beating their chests about rights, we start standing up to talk about our responsibiltity for dogs?

Right now, Pit Bulls are banned in quite a few cities and towns across the U.S.

Would those breed bans have passed if, instead of a breed ban, what was proposed was a licensing scheme predicated on a prospective or current owner taking a canine responsibility course geared toward large breed dogs? You know what would happen then? Pit Bull people would actually be seen as people who know something about dogs.

Just an idea.

Those that want to continue to see the dogs bred without end, killed without end, and breed bans spread without end, can continue on as before...

3 comments:

Heather Houlahan said...

I would say that the soul-patch kid may be attracted to the pit bull because of the dog's marginalization by the "mainstream," not because of the aura of menace. Totally different.

The prong collars are, you know, a really good training tool for very strong dogs, and a very effective management tool for those who sadly do not train. Most of the dogs in the video were wearing flat collars, showing that their owners had already trained them. Some of the prongs were badly-fitted, which I hate, but that's just my particular saddle-burr.

If one was going for a provocative "look," the relevant look is, BTW, a leather collar with outward-pointing spikes attached to a ridiculous logging chain held by a young idiot who has to keep hitching up his trousers or else fall on his face.

I like to see shelters offering bully-breed classes to adopters, and making those available to other owners in the community. Perhaps the dogs and owners who graduate could be issued a special collar badge.

As far as easy come, easy go, sure. And you could say the same about the ubiquitous chows, shar pei mixes, and pound shepherds in big cities or the profusion of coonhounds and coonhound types in this neck of the woods. In LA, for example, it appears that the Chihuahua is the throwaway dog of choice. I'd like to see the purse-dog-toting idiots who regard them as animate accessories required to take a class on dog behavior and animal husbandry.

Anonymous said...

How about this:

If you want to own any dog, you should be required to attend a dog class. Nothing major, just a Saturday course that teaches responsible dog ownership.

There may be a problem with pit bulls. That's my breed, so I won't pass any judgment. My experience with the breed is they are very much maligned.

But golden retrievers are my breed, and they have heaps of problems, including aggression issues.

If a class is good enough for pit bull owners, then it's good enough for golden retriever owners.

Maybe it shouldn't be a government mandate, but something that dog societies and clubs can enforce and encourage for anyone buying dogs from their breeders.

Viatecio said...

An interesting, almost ironic look at the pit bull type dog, can be found on youtube under the channel 'illicitpits.' I'm genuinely surprised that, despite the cornrows, slight ebonic accent and obvious 'tough guy' look (complete with saggy pants), these guys advocate resposible ownership, OBEDIENCE TRAINING, the training of bully breeds in Schutzhund, and the truth about pit bull bans. While I can't comment on their other interests, I feel comfortable saying that they have a good heart when it comes to bully type dogs.

(If this counts as spam or advertising, by the way, it's not meant to be...)

Heather, don't worry...an ill-fitted pinch collar is a MAJOR burr in my side.