In my pondering today, I have decided to yet again make a feeble attempt at slimming down 'the thing.'
Alright... in Pippin's defense, he's not, at the moment, that bad... compared to his worst! He actually came back from the regionals looking like he had a little more shape, if one could believe that.
Last time I had thought I would attribute to Pippin's health, I went running with him on the bike. That lasted about a week, and I'm not all too sure why I gave up on him then. It's a combination of his misbehavior and diet that I think get me down. Pippin is a top notch, professional counter surfer food sneak. He's closed off from much of the house, but the smallest, shortest slip of the mind when one forgets to close the gate, and he will always find something to eat. Whether it's from the counter, the garbage (also closed with an extra anti-Pippin mechanism,) or right out of the fridge while you stand there (happened once, with my Dad, it was turkey,) whether it's a loaf of bread or a tub of margarine, Pippin always seems to find it. It's almost hard to feel bad for him.
I feel bad for him, sometimes considering I fear it may have been my fault in the early training stages. I often wonder if it was the consistent food rewards that shaped him into being such a food hound. Often I am then reminded, however, that even right from the start, our little puppy was eating things like nails... and the wall. In the present day, he sometimes may fancy himself a nice scented wax candle... or the ceramic holder it may be in. I'm not exaggerating., nor has this ever been something internal... beside his weight, vets have never really had any bad news about him.
A feast for a pint sized Pippin.
Pippin is confirmed to go to nationals in early August. Perhaps not only seeing him a slim sexy beast, but wanting him to perform well at the nationals will be enough motivation I need to put this pup through doggy boot camp.
So... how much can an overweight dog shape up in roughly a month and half?
Today's weight: 70 lbs (you better believe it. I didn't, at first.)
His height: Roughly 21-22"
Today I had both the dogs retrieving a toy from down the alley on the side of the house where I set up a jump they couldn't go around and they had to jump both ways. I'm going to take him out on the bike again this afternoon. He won't last long, considering as well his paws are not accustomed to jogging too much on concrete as Damon's are. It's a start. Regardless if he loses much any weight or not, at least this will provide some bonding time for us. Perhaps he'll listen better then, too.
There hasn't been a lot going on. At least one point worth mentioning on this blog though, is that my parents, and my parents' dog (okay, my Dad's dog,) Pippin, came home from Vancouver island yesterday after a long weekend of doing agility at the BC/Yukon agility regionals.
Pippin came in 12th in his class (that's better than ranking high, since it's my favorite number,) and scored high enough to qualify for the nationals! Way to go Pippin & dad! (Excuse the crappy cell phone camera quality of this photo.)
Too late (or too early) to be thinking of anything else to write about now. Then again, Damon recently has been having some issues with his ears. I first noticed a few days ago now he was holding his head funny and shaking it. Admittedly, his ears were due for a cleaning, though what I found was that he had a small cut on the inside of his ear, no doubt made worse from his scratching at it. If a cut is all that it was, it's doing fine again now. I cleaned his ears and taped the one so he couldn't get a paw in there to scratch at it. From what I read it is a very sensitive area for a dog and especially due to ability to scratch there for most it sometimes is hard to heal. Funny story though, after I finally finished cleaning his ears properly (which was the first time I have ever done the ears on him exclusively, without doing a full bath, also the first time I have ever actually experienced him cowering away from me and not willing to come,) I thought I'd have him wear the 'cone of shame' for the rest of the day to prevent scratching at his ear.
I don't know if it was because he was upset, or perhaps he had never been in one before, but I wish I had had my video camera. At first I didn't notice it. I put it on him outside, where he was, stopped him from trying to shake it off, didn't go inside for more than a minute before coming out again and there he was-- standing completely still-- staring at the ground. I didn't know what he was doing, and for a split second I had even considered he might snap out in surprise if I spooked him. This was how strange the situation was! He was just so darned stiff! I called out to him, walked towards him, gave him a pat on the back and then lifted up his cone. Wag of the tail, he was happy to see me! It was like he just came out of a trance. But now he was fine again and we walked (he, fumbled,) towards to door. I opened it very wide so as to help him get inside. Even still, the cone made contact with the edge of the sliding door and bam. He was out again. Just frozen. I helped him around, then, bam. Frozen. Stuck on a table leg. I watched him for a moment, this was where I realized what was happening and I admit, I started to laugh a bit. It was just the strangest thing! It was like he was surprising himself into a trance, like he had no idea on earth what could possible be happening. Anyways, a good full minute of standing at the table leg was the extent of his cone-wearing as I took it off and taped his ear instead.
Just felt like a change! Possibly due to these AWESOME photos a friend of mine, Erin Partridge, got for me of Damon while we were at the beach (you can actually see her with her camera in one of my photos.) One day I'll have my own DSLR, but for now, I'm satisfied. Check these out:
This photo above is actually quite cool! As you can see the exact same photo I'm taking here in my set down below!
She asked that I mention it if I went and did any of my own editing to the pictures, only in the section of photo I used for the blog's header did I mess around a little bit.
We had a nice day down at White Rock beach yesterday (and by that I really mean I haven't slept yet even though it's passed midnight and now officially is another day.) I was ecstatic to have found both my camera battery (lost for a few days) and my camera battery charger (lost for a few months) the night before, so I could get some nice photos of Damon.
As it turns out, by following all the tips from others who know the area best, we pretty much ended up avoiding the actual beaches of White Rock, and stayed down east where the reservation land begins. Not only is this where folks who bring their pit bulls go to avoid the risk of not having a muzzle on, but it seems everyone not only brought their dog there, they let them run rampant for an entire stretch of sand and no one at all seemed to mind. So we joined in on the fun at what would seem like a giant sandy off-leash park. Here are some shots from earlier in the day:
Here he was 'talking' when the photo was taken. He does a lot of this 'talking' (a.k.a. howling and making funny grumbling sounds,) when he wants something, like for us to throw a stick.
We had some doggy visitors, mainly the bigger dogs that weren't intimidated by the bounding pit bull (there were lots of little dogs running around,) and one small puppy something who obviously missed the 'small dogs beware of pit bulls' memo (or was maybe too young to read it.)
Here are some shots I really wanted to get; those classic doggy action on the beach shots. I really like this one...
I call this one the dolphin shot...
Not on our best jumping game today. We tried a variety of funky different camera angles to make one of these shots look good, but it would seem they never worked out; some even landing poor Julia here flat on her arse! (When we were both directly bulldozed by the flying dog.)
Here was when we did venture on to the market-like strip that is the eastern beach-front part of Marine Drive. Hot dogs and ice cream are a tradition, along with sitting to eat in a nice little shady sitting area just around the corner.
Waiting for our number to be called...
We did get asked, only once what breed he was. I had told everybody in the group before we went onto the strip that he was a Viszla X Labrador X Cattle dog. When I was asked I just blurted out that he was a mix. They went on to ask if I didn't know because he was a rescue and I said yes and knew we were in the clear. Think he could pass for a Viszla X Labrador X Cattle dog?
Some more...
Another White Rock tradition; constructing a sand pile big enough to sit on to see how long you last on it while the tide comes in around you. We arrived there around 1:00 pm and waited around until about 9:30 pm after dark when the tide finally hit ours.
Here's Damon, guarding the finished platform surrounded by a moat while we waited for the tide to hit. The light from my camera flash is being reflected off a strip on Damon's jacket.
Only 3 of us took on the challenge and we managed to stay on the slowly shrinking and breaking down platform until the water completely overtook it, and it was a mid-calf to knee deep walk back to shore.
Overall it was a good day and I would do it another weekend in a heart beat. Damon probably had the most fun of all!
With the nice weather coming in more and more,
Damon's been regularly spending some time on a rope in the front yard.
He loves lying in the grass in the sun, and the action going on out
front versus the enclosed backyard is
much better stimulation for him. I lay out a mat and a water bowl, and
leave the front door open. I have a sign out front that informs
passersby that first, the dog is tied so he can't get to you off the
property, and second, that he is a friendly dog, but does not know you so please
do not approach him when left unattended. I'm just around the corner in the
house so I can hear when people stop to look at him, or try to say hi
(god forbid anyone tease him, for their sake via myself.)
In this particular instance, I hear some kids-- boys-- stop to talk
to him and to talk to each other about him. I come to the front door and as
all kids think nowadays as soon as the 'adult' shows up they assume they're in trouble. They froze! It was so funny because I'm not very
friendly, but I put on my best smiling face as I was not coming out to tell them to move on, I did so instead of pondering about it and
talking about it, they could meet him properly. I tell them, and I make Damon sit and
I kneel beside him to hold his collar. There's 3 boys. Not very good with dogs; walk up close
and hover over him, hold out the back of the hand, when they get to
that point they all pat him directly on the top of the head. When the 3
of them crowded around with their grubby little hands, I at least told
them to instead present their palm, so they did. I was prepared to coach each one of them individually to make Damon feel more comfortable, but as soon as they heard they could meet him it would seem they teleported given the instant they were around us. Damon was grouchy, but I
knew he was safe.
The point is, that even though Damon was grouchy and
grumbly before they came to pet him, not one boy was afraid of him, and
instead, they all fawned over my pit bull with great enthusiasm.
It's sad when parents instill
unnecessary fear of animals in their children due to their own bad
experiences, or worse, such as in the case of pit bulls, no bad
experience only there own mislead ignorant judgment. Kids love animals! It's cruel to take that love away from them, or deny them interaction with animals. Kids
love their dogs. Many lucky kids, get to love their pit bulls. When banning
time comes around, and hundreds of innocent great family dogs are taken
away to be euthanized for no other reason than the way they look, how do
you explain that to a child? How do you justify having to explain to a
child who lost their best friend this way that their city, state,
province or entire country is being run and controlled based off
ignorance and discrimination?
When banning time comes along... it does only harm. Who do think it harms the most?
Just watched about half of the documentary 'Food Inc.' on Netflix, only about half because I'll be going to bed (but will watch the rest later.) It's just another fine example of the way the world is being run by the people we depend on without even understanding why we do (I highly recommend watching it.)
It's become alright for people not to know. They would rather just not know. A sad truth or a happy lie. But for those of you who would choose the latter, look beyond the adjective. There is only truth. Albeit trusting so little people in this world and as always myself first and foremost, I can't understand why most people would rather waste time trying to convince me that at one point of another you have to trust someone somewhere, than to want to listen to what someone else has to say. Worse, they would rather argue closed-minded than to find out information for themselves. What is this human weakness? Dig deep enough and you will find some truth or another in plain sight laid before you; will you still try to deny it then?
My favorite example; who do you trust to know the best for your pet? A veterinarian?
Why?
Where did they learn their information? Do you know? Where did the person/s responsible to pass on that information learn it? Down the line; did you know that most university pet nutrition courses are taught by representatives for pet food companies?
Now... apply this way of thinking to everything you've ever been taught or told... who have you trusted in the past to teach you, and where did they learn it from..? Who do you depend on to teach your children..? Yes, unless you dig deeply enough yourself, eventually you will depend on the knowledge-- true or false-- of someone, or something else. But... instead of hiding the guilt of ignorance behind defending against the facts, scrutinize what you think you know and it may just surprise you where that information came from in the first place...
There is a difference people turn a blind eye to between someone who knows the truth, and someone who believes what they know is the truth.
The former, may not even be me.
Trust wisely, be self-aware and do not assume anything until you've taken into consideration everything and then trust yourself first. If you must settle for not knowing, at least consider this proposition; "If you didn’t hear it with your own ears or see it with your own eyes, don’t invent it with your small mind and share it with your big mouth.”
I did this a while ago, but never shared these pictures with anyone. Though, since I'll be doing pretty much this same process for the rest of my dog's treats (including with different meats and organs,) I thought I'd share this now. This is $3.74 worth of beef heart fresh from the butchers shop. I would have gotten it frozen and had to let it sit and thaw a while before cutting it, but they didn't have any frozen and were just cutting this now when I got it.
I cut it into bit sized pieces, my first tray's pieces were much larger than my second batch (I was expecting them to shrink more when cooked-- they hardly did at all,) and so the second tray's pieces were half if not a third of the size some of the pieces from the first batch. Here is the first tray full...
And the second...
At first I was following the explanation of another blogger and set the heat at 300 degrees. After 15-20 minutes of that with not much notable progress other than a rancid stench that filled the whole house, I thought, screw it, and kicked it up 100 degrees to 400 and they cooked much quicker. I wasn't sure what I was looking for before the first batch anyways, other than I knew I wanted them (the pieces) to be quite dark. I may have been a little impatient (I was waiting to start the other half of the heart to be done with it, and only had the one pan,) but this is what I took out of the oven...
With a bit of flat metal I assume was once a cheap-o spatula (now with the handle broken off of it,) I loosed the pieces from the pan, wrapped them in a paper towel and set them on a plate outside to cool (this is only the first batch.)
Here are some pieces from the first batch you can see the size of in relation to my hand. Quite large! But they were soft enough to be cut into smaller pieces if I had felt like going to the trouble. For $3.74, for over a couple of pounds that acted as my dogs meal on training days, I didn't really feel like I was wasting anything by not doing this. You can sort of tell by this too the size of the actually giant pan, and just how many decent sized pieces I was able to make.
I don't know much about drying meat, other than I'm sure I didn't leave them in the oven for as long as I could have, so after they were all done and cooled I put them in a bag and still kept them in the freezer as I do with all the other dog meat. The only downside to the way these turned out was when I was constantly grabbing and feeding them to my dog during agility training, whatever bits and color rubbed off of them were all over my fingers, underneath my nails, the leash, and on the light colored pouch I kept them in for the duration of the class. I didn't mind; it wasn't a mess passed simply washing my hands and wiping down my pouch and leash. Learning how to dry the bits out more will make this better.
Actually, it was my sister who shone the light on that one. You won't get the humor in it unless you're a dog person who knows how common it is to hear about the condition-- in dogs. Anyways, it's true; I AM the one who has issues leaving my dog-- and it's 100% not the other way around!
Sometimes I think my dog takes more care of me than I do him.
I'm working on a sister blog, sort of, to this one called 'Breed-Specific BC.' I originally wanted to make a website out of the idea, but unfortunately due to a lack of funds I won't be able to purchase the hosting needed for another website, and to be honest, as long as the information is there on the net I don't see why it needs it's own domain name.
I'm hoping to make it the go-to source for all information regarding BSL in the province. Whether someone is looking to move, or are just traveling, or just want to keep up with the news, etc, all the information will be there and be kept up-to-date. There will be a list and a map including all areas that have some form of BSL, or have had it/are thinking about it, and what exactly those restrictions are whether it's an all out ban or a muzzling rule. I'll also be updating it with news on the Ontario legislation, hopefully as we all know we're hoping on looking towards a retraction of the province-wide pit bull ban. But for now, I plan on only doing as much as I can handle, this means keeping the blog updates to just Ontario and news regarding BSL changes in BC. It is possible that once I get into the rythm of things I'll slowly work on expanding the website to different provinces.
I'll be posting links to the blog once completed. I'm excited to know a lot of people will find it very useful!
EDIT: I have started the blog, you can find it here at http://breedspecificbc.blogspot.ca/ If you have any information pertaining to the BSL in the province, or anything else you believe may contribute to the blog, please send me an e-mail at: damnradioman@hotmail.com
Otherwise, as I've stated before (in the 'about' section) this blog was originally intended to be used as a storing place for all my informative pit bull and BSL rants/articles I wrote geared towards educating my friends & family via facebook. However, I'm now looking at expanding this blog by including various updates on Damon (my own dog,) the rescues and shelters I work with/volunteer for, and just in general my life related to dog stuff to make this more of my personal blog.
Thanks for reading thus far, and I hope you continue!
This is possible my favorite quote that truly sums up the political reality of just what breed-specific legislation really is:
"Just because a dog of a particular breed, or a particular breed type, is viscous does not mean that any other members if that same breed will act in the same manner. Certainly "shotgun"-approach legislation violates more than the rights of a dog; such broad-brush prohibitions run counter to the foundations of freedom on which the United States was founded. We are indeed a country of laws, but we are not automatically a country of lawbreakers. Dogs that have been caught in the gill net legislative approach that does away with entire breeds of dogs and not with specific wrongdoers is not in keeping with individual rights. All citizens of conscience deplore dog bites and dog attacks on children and other innocent individuals. To automatically ban all dogs because of the actions of a few or even only one dog smacks of something that deeply threatens the foundations of our freedoms. The guarantee of due Constitutional safeguards were designed to prevent an erosion of individual rights while protecting the general public."
-Joe Stahlkuppe, The American Pit Bull Terrier Handbook
"Breed-specific
legislation is a law or ordinance passed by a legislative body
pertaining to a specific breed or breeds of domesticated animals. In
practice, it generally refers to laws or ordinances pertaining to a
specific dog breed or breeds."
Think these laws will not affect you because you do not own a dog on the list? Think again!
Linked below are two very real stories that came out of Ontario's
BSL in 2005 when this bill was first implemented. If you do not wish to
read the full stories (both regarding 3 different types of breeds all
OTHER than the pit bull terrier,) at least take a look at the summary of
the Ontario's 'Dog Owners Liability Act' below:
"The law defines
a "pit bull" as a pit bull terrier, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, an
American Staffordshire Terrier, an American Pit Bull Terrier, or a dog
that has an appearance and physical characteristics that are
substantially similar to those dogs. If your dog appears to be in this
category and your dog lived in Ontario on August 29, 2005, or was born
in Ontario before November 27, 2005, you own a "restricted dog".
Restricted dogs must be muzzled, leashed, and sterilized. If your dog
appears to be in this category and it was born in Ontario after November
26, 2005, or was brought into Ontario after August 29, 2005, your dog
is illegal. It could be confiscated and destroyed and you could be fined
up to $10,000 and sentenced to up to six months in jail."
The
stories below are merely a glimpse into the kind of struggles dog owners
of nearly EVERY breed were faced with, or faced with the fear of due to
this completely and utterly irresponsible and unjustified legislation,
that manages to both AVOID the real problem, while also stripping
innocent dog owners of some of their basic constitutional rights and
freedoms.
I finally got through dissecting all the information regarding pit bulls on the 'Dogs 101 -American Pit Bull' video by Animal Planet.
I'm going to try really hard to hold my tongue and give short answers, the problem is, there's never a short simple answer. The history, the present-day misconceptions of the pit bull terrier; it is all so complex, including simply the temperament and behavior of any canine animal, that in order to truly understand you have to learn way beyond all that. But for now, let's just stick with this. "Eager to please, loving, intelligent, sounds like a great dog, right? It was known as 'America's dog.'"
Just wanted to add here, not only were they widely and popularly known as the symbol for America (see link below,) another nickname for them was 'nanny dog,' as in, a nanny who looks after children. Why? Because of their famed reputation with children.
Again, only the best reputation with children. Here is my favorite quote regarding why Petey-- a pit bull-- was the dog chosen for the part:
"... you are a famous Hollywood director and you want to make a series of films about little scamps running about getting into all kinds of mischief. They need a dog to come along on their misadventures. You’re going to need a smart dog that learns tricks quickly. Time is money. You need a dog that no one is afraid of. You’re shooting comedies. Most of all you need an obedient dog that can work long hours in difficult conditions with a rotating cast of up to a dozen 5-9 year olds who will, as kids do, pull it’s tail, tug at it’s ears, and poke it in the eye at any given moment. What would be best is if you could find a dog that had an obvious identifying mark like a circle around it’s eye. That way you could use different dogs of the same breed by just painting the mark on any similar looking dog that’s available. You need a breed that will take all sorts of poking and prodding and not nip any of the nippers or your whole career could go right down the drain. The headline, “DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN LETS VICIOUS DOG ON SET” is haunting your dreams. What breed can you safely rely on?"
You guessed it; the pit bull.
Links:
For over 100 years America knew what it bulls did best, Part I - http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=676
For over 100 years America knew what it bulls did best, Part II - http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=1103
For over 100 years America knew what it bulls did best, Part III - http://www.ywgrossman.com/newblog/?p=1013
The cruelest trick ever played on a breed of dog - http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=604 "... the RCA dog and the buster brown shoe dog. What dog are we talking about? The pit bull. The American Pit Bull Terrier definitely has a bad rap. They've been banned in Denver, and parts of Florida. Grounded on certain airlines. Over 500 cities have strict pit bull restrctions. And they are banned in the countries of Great Britain and New Zealand."
I really have to bite my tongue here so as to not go overboard. If only those of you reading this could understand just how bad this is and why; the merciless and unwarranted killing of thousands upon thousands of great family dogs is left out here. Right now here in Canada our biggest BSL (breed-specific legislation) issue is in the entire province of Ontario. Please see the link below and get a glimpse of what happened and is still happening in Ontario regarding animal control officers coming into to perfectly normal families lives and relieving them of their perfectly normal family dogs; the ignorance and fear runs so deep. These were children's dogs, folks. Could you imagine having your son or daughter's beloved animal companion taken away to be murdered based only on it's appearance? Could you think of a sensible explanation to make your child understand? Unless you're teaching your kids that it's okay to kill others based off of prejudice-- there isn't one.
"It is the way they are raised that turns them out to be aggressive towards people. However, make no mistake, this dog can snap. And it has snapped, and that is why it is not the dog for everyone."
Wow. This line is very vague, but the impression it gives off is clear; pit bulls are unpredictable. First off, the most important fact about the entire domestic canine species I can give here, not only in defense but just so we're all of the same level of COMMON SENSE is that ANY dog can be prone to 'snap.' That is, to act out in a defensive (seen as 'aggressive') matter when surprised or scared, basically at those times seen by those who don't know any better as unexpectedly and/or unwarranted. Make no mistake to what I'm trying to say here, many dogs that I'm sure many of you can remember owning in your childhood would never do such a thing. And you're probably right, as those dog's never did. But letting the temperament of your one childhood dog represent your entire view on whichever breed they may have been is foolish. It works both ways. Did you know, that the first ever reported dog fatality involving a family dog was a Labrador Retriever? That's right-- those dogs can snap! Using this line specifically on the pit bull terriers information video is a poor excuse to explain why it is not the dog for everyone. Powerful, driven working breeds are ALL not for everyone. Do your research before looking at a breed to own, and don't fool yourself into thinking you can give the proper time and management to a dog when you cannot.
Here are the 2007 test results found by the ATTS (American Temperament Testing Society) that tests the stability and temperament of dogs (the percentage shoes the amount of dogs who passed the testing with no sign of reactivity/aggression:)
1. Old English Bull Dog 100.0%
2. Mini Bull Terrier 100.0%
3. Bull Terrier 92.1%
4. Labrador Retriever 91.8
5. Staff Bull Terrier 88.8%
6. Standard Poodle 85.3
7. Pit Bull Terrier 84.3%
8. Boxer 84.3
9. Golden Retriever 84.2%
10. American Bull dog 84.1%
11. German Shepherd 83.5%
12. Amstaff 83.4%
13. Rottweiler 82.6%
14. Jack Russell Terrier 82.1%
15. Dalmatian 81.8%
16. Beagle 80.3%
17. Collie 79.4%
18. Doberman Pinscher 77.1%
19. Mini Poodle 76.6%
20. Akita 74.0%
21. Chihuahua 70.3%
22. Dachshund (Stnd. Smooth) 70.2%
23. Chow Chow 70.0%
24. Scottish Terrier 63.6%
25. Tibetan Terrier 54.5%
26. Skye Terrier 37.5%
Now these are obviously not all of the dog breeds tested, but it shows a good summary from highest scoring to lowest. Before I continue on, it is important for you to know that although these breeds may have been equally tested, their NUMBERS were NOT all equal. The American Pit Bull Terrier and Amstaffs are the breeds MOST tested by the ATTS. This means that, at the time that this particular test was taken, there may very well have been 20 Old English Bulldogs tested to get a score of 100%, and 200 American Pit Bull Terriers tested for a score of 84.3%. With that in mind, when there is more of one breed of dog than other as the pit bull terrier is still a very popular breed to this day, it makes sense that there will be more incidents involving that breed of dog, if only due to the fact that there are more dogs than responsible owners in this world. It should also be known that breeds on this list, including the Old English Bulldog, Mini Bulls, Bull Terriers, Staffordsire Bulls, American Bulldogs and even sometimes Boxers and Rottweilers-- those 'pit bull' type blockey-headed breeds that are too often thrown into the mix when banning time comes along-- are among the HIGHEST ranking dogs.
"There are terrible incidents where people get seriously injured, maimed or even killed."
Who knows what he was going to go on to say, before it cuts out, but what I hope it would have been is something similar to 'by dogs.' Yes, your pit bull, rottweiler, GSD is a bigger and more powerful breed than your pomeranian, chihuahua, or teacup yorkie. It doesn't truly make any particular breed more dangerous by default, but what breeds do you think gang members, dog-fighters and other morons out there looking for 'status' would want to look menacing at there side? What are these kinds of people willing to do to an animal to make them that way? "During the 19th century these dog were developed in England, Ireland and Scotland. They crossed bulldogs with terriers, an the result was a strong aggressive fighting dog."
"They actually took the dogs and put them in pits and started fighting the dogs, hence the name 'Pit Bull.'"
When she does those quotation symbols with her fingers it makes me want to chuck something. People! This is not how to pit bull gets it's name! The word 'bulldog' was and still is traditionally used today in the same way, for example, that the word 'sheepdog' is used. That is, where a 'sheepdog' describes a dog who works sheep, a 'bulldog' is a dog who, that's right-- works BULLS. Those short, squat, bow-legged flat-faced dogs have no better chances against a bull than your chihuahua or pomeranian. Furthermore, 'pitbull' is not a real word that describes an American Pit Bull Terrier. As it was traditionally known and the American Pit Bulldog, the 'pit' and 'bull' are completely separate.
"So if you take that kind of a dog, and you work with it and you create it to fight, then you're going to end up with a fighting dog. But they are not born like that they're actually very loving smart, loyal, sweet dogs."
Plus, pit bull dogs that have been created to fight generally have the amazing ability to bounce back and learn to be mentally sound again, though, not all of them ever learn to be friendly with other dogs. It IS in the nature of the pit bull to be naturally reactive. Dog reactivity is separate from dog aggression.
"It doesn't necessarily indicate aggression, but it can build and progress in that direction if not handled properly. Truly dog aggressive dogs are quiet. Reactive dogs are largely social dogs frustrated by the restraint or insecure dogs trying to intimidate and scare the other dog away. " -Leah Gilmour, HugABull Rescue & Advocacy
There are many forms, and levels of reactivity, and it exists in many different breeds. You may even own a reactive dog, but just do not know to recognize it as such.
"With the American Pit Bull Terrier, socialization is the key."
Yes, but I must stress that again, some pit bull terriers will NOT get along naturally with other dogs. Oftentime when a pit bull reach maturity (between the ages of 2 and 3,) although they may have previously shown to be perfectly fine to meet and to interact with strange dogs before, they will begin to show signs of reactivity/aggression. DOG REACTIVITY IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. These dogs can STILL be properly socialized, with care and CONSISTENCY. Check out one training program as an example through the link below; one weekly class (dubbed 'The Breakfast Club' on Sunday mornings,) is specifically geared at training & socializing reactive dogs.
"When you look at the pit bull, you first notice it's head. Well-chiseled, and brick-like. Typically they've got a large head, almost like a tadpole, and then the body tapers away. And they are built like steel towers, with amazingly strong muscles. They can sort of be like Popeye; they've got big strong muscles, but can be just as sweet as can be."
No arguments here, this breed is very powerful, and was bred to perform no doubt about that.
"The one muscle that gets the bad press, is the pit bulls jaw muscle. The truth is this dog has short, strong, highly-developed temporalis muscles, that are located around the cheekbone. With the pit bull this muscle consumes most of it's head; more so than other dogs. And that is why they have amazing jaw strength."
Wrong, wrong and wrong. The only correct line in this entire paragraph is, it DOES get bad press; such as uneducated and ill informed articles like this one. This may possibly be the worst piece of false information detrimental to the breed in this entire video. I'm not going to delve much into this, as Ive already written a short article with as much information as you should need in the link below.
"People talk about the fact that their jaw lock, well their jaws don't actually 'lock,' but they do tend to bite and hold with a full crushing bite."
At least the people watching this video believing in everything that these 'experts' say will finally see reason to this one. Again, please see the above article I've written that further explores the jaw-locking myth. PIT BULLS JAWS ARE BUILT NO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE OF ANY OTHER DOMESTIC BREED. Any dogs physique can be toned through training, but can you imagine how long it would take to actually grow the muscles in your head stronger? Has anyone reading this article ever tried to pry open the mouth of a chihuahua, or any other below 10 lb dog? I have, and believe me-- it's harder than it sounds! No wonder any opposing forces of 130-220 PSI would be deemed impossible to open (please see the link in the section above.)
"The next outstanding feature of the pit bull is their smooth, glossy, short coat, that comes in almost every color. Most often brindle & fawn."
The pit bulls were bred to be short-coated and tight skinned, especially in the areas of the muzzle and head (so, no droopy lips here, folks!) since in a dog fighting pit this would be a disadvantage, as it would make it easier for the opposing dog to grab hold. Since true pit bulls, like other breeds bred true to their work or sport were bred first and foremost for instinct and ability, thoughts regarding breeding for coat color were nonexistent, so this can vary quite a bit in pit bulls. However, a solid fawn or fawn & white color, often accompanied by a dark mask, is seen in a lot of the more traditional working pit bulls today, and the color 'blue' was never seen in traditional lines. In fact, generally as a rule of thumb, if your pit bull is 'blue' than it can hardly be an American Pit Bull Terrier at all!
"So where is the best place to live with a pit bull? Pit bulls need some space, however, as long as you give them plenty of exercise they would be fine in an apartment."
Anyone who's ever owned a pit bull will know about the breeds signature 'on and off switch.' These dogs can go from athlete, ready to hike, jog, play ball with you and just about anything else, to snuggly movie-watching couch-potato in a snap! Though, the pit bull is a very high energy breed that does need good long exercise sessions each day. A good quote to live by; a tired dog is happy dog! Too much pent up energy leads to frustration, which will often lead to misbehavior, including but not limited to chewing and other destructive acts around the house. Generally though, space is overrated; you don't need acres of property to leash up your dog yourself and give him his daily exercise/breaks to the bathroom!
"The pit bull is a dog that usually lives 12-14 years. The American Pit Bull Terrier is definitely prone to heart disease, allergies, and hip dysplasia."
Common in ALL breeds, big and small. The pit bull as a larger-medium sized dog enjoys a life expectancy higher than other averages in breeds the same size and smaller (although the size of a dog is NOT a concrete way to determining the life expectancy in a breed. The history and bloodlines of a dog a certain breed play a much more important role.)
"And while these dogs are average shedder, the grooming is very easy."
A curry comb or rubber glove is what I find works best. Also bristle and slicker brushes can be used safely on dogs with short coats.
"As far as training goes, start early, and expose the dogs to many different situations."
No objections here. The pit bull is highly intelligent, and as previously mentioned, extraordinarily eager to please, making them easily trained in the right hands.
"And if you want to rescue a pittie from a rough past, experts say they have the power to bounce back and become loving dogs. They can be abused in ways that you would not really want to think about, and yet they can come out of that situation and still be able to trust and love people."
A true mark of just what amazing, loyal dogs the American Pit Bull Terrier can be. Always consider adopting before going out to the breeders, and if you're unsure, or are a first-time owner, specialized pit bull adoption agencies exist and are a great source of information usually both before AND after adopting.
"In general the American Pit Bull Terrier can live in any home environment, but needs lots of exercise. They have a few health issues, but don't need to be groomed often, and are trainable with good owners that socialize them to become good pets."
In conclusion, the video made an attempt to put the pit bull in a good light. However, the extent of wrong information comes across too importantly for the people not so easily swayed, and in the end, when the 'experts' say so, this video may just do more bad than good to the pit bulls reputation.
As I was just overlooking what I have so far posted on this blog here from facebook, it occurred to me that this is indeed definitely NOT all of what I have written regarding pit bulls and dogs there. Maybe the biggest loss was a paragraph I wrote specifically to one friend who had been recently angered at one story about a husky being put down for attacking (and, unfortunately, killing) an infant. This was my response to her angry and frustrated status update in defense of the dog:
"Oh hey, this was the story
popular on the pittie forums the other day. Apparently the magazines dog
'expert' basically went on about how pit bulls are such an
unpredictable breed.
I quote, "That could have
been an opportunity to educate on dog behavior and risk factors for
aggression... instead a tragedy involving a HUSKY became a diatribe
against pit bulls?" Leah, from the HugABull forum. If anyone wants to read the story, it's here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/02/16/f-dog-kills-q-a-beck.html
Also, (name removed), you're a real sweetheart and all, the truth of the matter
is, yes, you can argue and there are those who do argue that the dog could
live a perfectly happy normal life with the right, intelligent (not
moronic like those who would leave a baby unattended with any breed of
dog,) prey-drive savvy owners. However... with the number of unwanted and
abandoned dogs in the world everyone on the planet (including infants and
the elderly) would each have to adopt at least 7. There's just no room for dogs
that don't act the way humans expect them to in an environment such as
ours. That being said, there are still many, many other dog right causes
worth fighting for. You simply cannot save every dog, not until
overpopulation is no longer a problem. Yes, it is sad. But once you
accept that fact, it empowers you to instead fight for what you CAN
change.
Oh... and just for a short
answer... No, it is not the dogs fault. In fact, I think I'm going to go
ahead and say it's NEVER the dog's fault. We as the humans, who bring
dogs into our environment, who fail to understand and accept the fact that
they are what they are-- DOGS-- which is NOT an insult to the species
WHATSOEVER, are ALWAYS GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE. Irresponsible people,
such as the owners of this husky must have been to allow their dog and
baby to be unsupervised together, should not be ALLOWED to own dogs. Breeds such as
huskies, pit bulls, rottweilers, GSDs, all of those breeds who get a bad
rap from time to time due to fault of the OWNERS, are all very
intelligent, very powerful and driven working breeds that simply cannot be
owned by just anybody, and yet people wish to own them because they are 'pretty'
or 'status symbols.' It really is astounding how just goddamn STUPID the
human race can be."
I may have been a little fired up at the time, but something hits a chord with me to this day,
"Yes, it is sad. But once you
accept that fact, it empowers you to instead fight for what you CAN
change."
I've got to pat myself on the back for that one. I thought of this while I was watching yet another tribute to pit bulls video showing a lot of graphic and terribly sad abuse victim photos. I thought to myself, 'why DO I really want others to see this? I DO understand where they're coming from... this is terrible!' That's when I remembered what I had said. I for one am not afraid of knowing the reality of the situation, because I know those terrible pictures have happened whether I've seen them or not. Seeing them-- really facing the reality of it all-- strengthens me to want to fight even harder for these dogs.
I
am compelled to include on my recent spam of pit bull awareness info
the quick fact (because I know 90% of you won't bother to follow through
with my last post) that is debunking of the most popular pit bull myth
there is: PIT BULLS DO NOT HAVE LOCKING JAWS! There is in fact, no such
thing as a locking mechanism in the jaw of ANY canine species. My own
parents both shocked and disgraced me believing
in this one, shortly before they went on to tell me 'but at least
their canine teeth are curved more than other breeds to better hold on
with.' Huh? That one was new to even me! According to the ONLY STUDY
done to determine the bite PSI of different animals, the pit bull on
average had the LOWEST, very close to the average of the GSD. See a
video of it done here:
What makes the pit bull such a feared attacker is it's instinctual ability
to grip and HOLD ON. This comes from it's history of baiting large
animals such as the bear and the bull, and still to this day used as hog-catching dogs. The best way to defeat these types of animals, 10
times their weight and size, was to grip, and to hold on. It is already
natural canine instinct to SHAKE their prey. This rips and tears the
flesh that they grip, wounding their prey, to further submit to them in a
fight. When their prey is still, they are less likely to do this. What
lends to this style of fighting is the pit bulls unyielding
DETERMINATION, also bred specifically into this breed. Put the two
together, with some old wives tales of dogs who 'would just not let go'
and you can see where this myth came to be. One story of an old 1800's
pit bull breeder was that, in a bear-baiting competition, to further
boast his dog's determination (called 'gameness' in this context,) was by
chopping of the legs of his dog, one at a time. Each time afterwards the
dog would struggle to resume fighting the bear. The dog died, but
her puppies were in high demand.
And as far as the curvature
of their canines go... well that one was just plain dumb, and I hope I
proved it to them through the obvious comparison of Damon's teeth to
Pippin's that they were exactly the same. Sorry folks, that one was just
plain funny. It is not my parents fault how deeply the ignorance
regarding pit bulls runs!
A
great site with information regarding many things, from a fantastic women
who coins herself a 'breed steward.' This means that she breeds the dogs, but only for
the upkeep and betterment of the breed, which-- done correctly with the utmost care-- does NOT necessarily contribute to pet overpopulation.
The
Vancouver-based rescue & advocacy society that I most closely
support. Pit bull & BSL as well as adoption from there program info here.
Also a forum to join even if you don't have a pit bull, are not looking
to adopt one but would just like to learn more. Members here are very
well-educated and experienced, patient to teach and all from the BC
area.
Information
regarding backyard breeders and puppy mills. I only just skimmed
through this site, but it looks like a good comprehensive source for all
sort of information. Say NO to adopting from pet stores and backyard breeders! Say YES to
adopting through rescue organizations and other reputable shelters!
A
ton of information here regarding feeding your dog raw. Not to forget
that same principles apply to cats as well! The site looks hard to
navigate through and messy, but I know I've picked up a lot of good
information here. If you're looking for quick info myths and other, see
the next link.
Fantastic source of quick, basic and easy-to-understand information debunking some popular myths about raw feeding.
I
will add more to this list soon enough! If you want to learn more
information fast, or have any questions, or are wondering which sketchy
facts are true or false, or any information regarding pit bulls at all, e-mail me! If I can't fully answer your question myself I'm sure I can point you in the right direction. damnradioman@hotmail.com
NOT FOR THE WEAK AT HEART or if there are any sheltered children in the
room. And by weak of heart I mean weak of mind and soul with the
unwillingness to educate yourselves on the more serious problems
regarding humanity and the world. These are my two favorite pit bull
videos on YouTube. What calls for the warning is that both videos show
snapshots of abused dogs, and it is not pretty. I've asked many people
before to watch these videos, but at this mention, they refuse.
Ignorance is bliss, I suppose. But it is ignorance, and I have no
respect for the unwillingness to learn about the reality of the world we
live on, regardless of whether or not they choose to do something about
it. These videos are MY reality, the thing in this world I choose to be
most passionate about. These dogs are what I fight for every day,
through education and advocacy, and I hope to in the future be able to
do more. I'm not asking you to hop on my bandwagon, or even care at all
(as long as you're not part of the problem,) but please watch these
videos, and enlighten yourself if only a little bit. I say 'a bit'
because still both the horrors, and the triumphs of this great breed go
far beyond what you will see. Less than 10 minutes of your time for
these 2 videos, and if you want to learn more, another link to a
slideshow style presentation with more statistical information on pit
bulls is at the bottom (no graphic photos here; why not teach the kids
something for a day?:)
The original 'pit bull problem' video
(the most graphic, addressing the biggest problem regarding pit bull
abuse. The second one is more about pit bull pride:)
The great American Pit Bull Terrier (this one is my favorite, mainly
pit bull pride here, but still there is an 'abuse' angle here. Can't
really have a meaningful pit bull video without addressing the
situation, as it is such a huge part of the problem. Graphic lyrics in
this song here too for the kiddies, but keep it up I like how the chorus
is meant to describe the breed:)
Here is the presentation with more information on the breed. I really
enjoyed this, and if you want to see no graphic abuse pictures at all,
but would still like to learn, this will keep you busy for a good 10
minutes. This is a good source for quick and interesting facts on pit
bull. Such as the Animal Planet video on pit bulls should be, but
unfortunately is not and instead riddled with a load of false
information:) http://www.hellobully.com/pb101/pitbull101.html
And just for fun, if you're really daft on the subject, you may not
know the difference between what is describe as a 'hippo' in this video
and a true pit bull. Think those blue XXL bully max or whatever crap are
true pit bulls? Think again! (Must watch entire video to understand
it's meaning:)
It's made to have you snorting and giggling especially with the song
playing in the background, but really what's even more sad than the fact
there are people out there who would claim these dog are pit bull
terriers, is the sorry state that human monsters have bred these poor
crippled dogs into. I've only met one of these super low, XXL or
whatever you want to call them dogs, the owner claiming it was of course
a 'pit bull.' His name was 'Chaos,' he sported an ugly and
uncomfortable looking spiked harness, and he was the shyest most timid
& scared dog I've met who was over 100 lbs. I had to go cry about
him after work that day-- beaten to be tough by his ugly,
trying-too-hard-to-be-gangster type owner, no doubt. Same end different means information on 'blue' or whale-pit bulls here: http://www.workingpitbull.com/pictures.htm
I
just tried to go through the entire Animal Planet's pit bull video and
make a list of the false information and correct it to post it here. I
couldn't get passed the first 1:20. Makes me terribly angry, and to
correct it all I would have to write a book; a book of all the
information I know on the pit bull breed, their history, etc. I never
got any reply back to my letter I sent them a year
ago, explaining my sadness and anger at seeing such a widely popular
and trusted source of information regarding animals could pass on
such horridly false information. I couldn't correct it all then, either.
Until I do decide to write down all my knowledge on the matter and put
it somewhere easily accessible on the net, don't watch this video. It
really does the breed bad with all it's false information and slander.
The
effects of Damon's raw diet of about 3 full months have started to really
come to light. His fur feels almost like velvet. His eyes get hardly any
build up in them now. I haven't once had to clean his ears as they
always seem to be clean. He's put on at least a good couple of pounds in
muscle since we brought him home from no doubt losing a lot while
confined to the shelter, and he looks really filled
out. And maybe most importantly, Pippin has brought home at lest 4
ticks in the last couple of months and besides the occasional check I
haven't had to worry as I stick my nose up and parade around the house
chanting 'put the dog on raw!'
What exactly is it with the
ignorance people have that don't allow them to understand the fact that
parasites are less inclined to go after a healthy host? A surprising
number of people ridicule this. Not only this but other topics whether
relevant or irrelevant to parasites on the feeding of a raw diet to your
pet. What is up people? What arse do you pull your false information
from? Explain this to me before you argue that my resources are
unreliable when you have none because you haven't bothered to do the
research yourself. When you do, I'll be more than happy to listen to and
maybe even learn from your argument.
But whilst on that note
the next time someone tells me that all online resources are 'fake' I'm
going to slap them. Wake up to the 21st century, everyone, you're on one
right now! This is a terrible excuse for not having any resources of
your own. If you go and make me find a hard copy of the same damn
information that very well could have gone through just as
self-published a process as any false information on the net, I'm going
to use it to whack every one of you on the head.
