Beyond The Myth: a movie that wants to educate about Pit Bulls

Today I watched a documentary called Beyond The Myth and it triggered me to finally update my blog (it's been a looooong time).  This movie deals with how difficult breed specific legislation is on a certain breed (in this case Pit Bulls) and I have to admit it really got me thinking about my block on the breed.

When I was in my late teens and early 20s I was obsessed with Pit Bulls/ American Staffordshire Terriers and Chihuahuas.  I thought Pits were the most beautiful dogs, with their sleek muscular bodies and their huge smiling jaws.  In fact, I ended up with a Pit mix without even realizing it, until she gave me that smile as an adult.  She was the most loving, sweet, gentle dog I have ever owned, yet after I had to give her up and I began living in the world without her face to remind me how wonderful these dogs can be I began to pay more attention to the news and less attention to the breed itself.

I have never been against Pit Bulls at all, but I do believe they can be extremely dangerous when owned by the wrong people.  What I tend to forget is that ANY breed can be dangerous when living with a careless or uneducated human.  My other breed obsession, as I stated earlier, was the Chihuahua, which is actually known to be a very aggressive breed.  Somehow we all forget this because they are so tiny, but imagine a small child being attacked by a small dog...not so easy to forget now, is it?  Breed is important in choosing a dog for your family, but the way you raise a dog is so much MORE important.

Irresponsible dog owners seem to be the reason why we see these news stories about children, adults and other dogs being attacked and killed by Pit Bulls.  So often I see that in a Pit Bull attack the dog was not altered (fixed) or a child was left unattended with a dog who was known to be aggressive (seriously, WTF is wrong with people in that situation????).  As this documentary points out there are many other news stories that don't even mention the dog breed in the headline if there has been a dog attack when the attacker was not a Pit Bull.  The breed is really singled out, which is not fair.

Over the past few years, especially the past year and a half, I have really had to struggle with the side of me that wants to rescue dogs.  When I walk through a shelter and see all of the pit bulls I see beautiful dogs, but my brain suddenly starts saying: nope, nope, nope as we pass by.  I now have a child at home and I don't think I'll bring an adult of any breed into the picture until my child is grown.  Now if I saw a Pit Bull puppy up for adoption and the temperament was right, I have to say it would be hard to resist.  I would definitely have that dog altered and I would be first in line for training classes (as with any breed of puppy I bring home), but I think if i really did my research on the breed and I had the mindset to raise a terrier, this breed seems amazing.

One of the most poignant discussions in Beyond The Myth was regarding irresponsible owners.  This is where lawmakers need to focus their attention.  If your dog is caught wandering, no matter WHAT breed, there should be a steep penalty.  If you do not spay or neuter your dog and you don't have a breeder's license (again, no matter what breed), there should be an even steeper penalty.  Backyard breeding is the reason why so many Pit Bulls end up in the shelters each year.  These people need to be stopped.  I'm sure the enforcement won't be easy, but there should be a task force or something in each county to stop these "breeders" from existing.  All dogs should be licensed.  If you can't afford the fee, don't get a dog (it's less than $20 where I live).  Any dog attack should be reported to animal control, no matter what the person whose dog attacked says ("My dog's never done that before", "You provoked him", "Please don't make this a big deal - this is the first time he/she has ever done something like this").  That person needs to be held responsible for the attack happening, because it is the human's fault.  If you own a dog it should always be in your control and you should not leave it unattended with children, no matter the breed.

Unfortunately I think the Pit Bull will always have a bad reputation because many bad people own them as status symbols.  You don't see many happy stories about the service dogs or the dogs who visit sick children to comfort them, but the Pit Bull is actually very well suited for these types of jobs.  I hope people will watch this documentary and come away with the knowledge that any dog is capable of hurting someone, it's all in how we treat the animals.  Breeds should not be singled out, even if they seem to be a good target (those jaws sure do look powerful, but watch the movie and you'll see studies have been done showing their jaws are not as strong as some other breeds).  As with any documentary I do have to remind myself that these people are passionate about the breed, so some favoritism is going to be apparent, but why would they be so passionate unless they have had good experiences with the breed?

I don't recommend you walk up to the next pit you see and give it a hug (unless it's your dog) - in fact don't do this with any strange dog - just keep in mind that the bad reputation doesn't mean the breed is all bad.  Oh, and just because a breed has a great reputation doesn't mean it can't go the other way.  Do your research and never get a dog you aren't going to be comfortable with.  And watch this movie.  It is very informative.

My Facebook Dog Rant: Harsh, but informative

Before I started this blog, I posted a note on Facebook because I wanted to really lay out what I felt about people who breed dogs just because they have an unfixed male or female.  I'm posting it here because it's all still relevant and maybe it will help someone who is contemplating breeding their dog.  It's a little harsh in some places, but that's because I'm passionate about this subject.  Below is the note I posted:

About once a week a co-worker of mine will talk about her dogs with me. She usually asks me a question about food or behavior and I'll answer politely, even if I think the question is a no-brainer( I have to remind myself that not everyone has the same passion for learning about animals that I do). Yesterday she asked me something that I could not answer politely, and it got me so heated that I had to write this note.


The first question was fine, "how often in a year do female dogs go into heat?" Okay, that's an easy one, about twice a year. Then came the kicker. It actually wasn't really a question, more of a statement with some hesitation, "So I should probably breed her soon, right?" My breath caught for a second and I had to cool off a little before I answered. The dog (Chiquita) is a family pet who's been spoiled by humans and wasn't raised in the company of other breeding females. She should never be bred and should have been fixed months ago.

I didn't want to be offensive, but that was an ignorant and ridiculous question. The answer in my head was, "Are you insane? Your dog is not purebred and you have NO idea how difficult breeding dogs is. Why would you even think that could be a good idea?"

I did not voice these thoughts. Instead, I explained to her the amount of time and money that goes into caring for a pregnant dog. You will spend more on vet bills, food and toys than you'll ever be able to charge for all of the puppies you would end up with. Breeding shouldn't be about money anyway, it should be about bettering the breed.

Unfortunately, people don't seem to care about this. I've seen people carrying chihuahuas that they bought from a "breeder" when it's obvious there's 50% of another breed in the same dog. I once met a "purebred" yorkie that looked about three times the size of the breed's standard. And do you want to know how much people will pay for these puppy "knock-offs"? It's sickening how many people breed for money and end up duping people in the process. And don't even get me started on "designer" breeds (maltipoos, puggles, labradoodles).

I probably sound harsh to some people, but this is just the way I feel about this subject. If you are not a licensed breeder who has years of experience around a particular breed, then you shouldn't be able to have a dog who is not fixed. Not only does an unfixed dog cause the potential side-effect of creating more dogs, it is also a hazard to everyone around it. Male dogs, no matter their size, are WAY more aggressive when that testosterone is coursing through their veins. Being in-tact also causes male (and female) dogs to roam. When hormones are racing, Spot doesn't care if there's a fence, he's getting out. Cars are a wandering dog's worst enemy.

Never say it's because of cost that you're not spaying/neutering. Anyone who can't afford to spay or neuter a dog shouldn't own one, especially since there are programs that will help to pay for it.

Have you ever been to a dog shelter and heard the dogs barking, pleading to be taken out of their cages and played with? The number is growing every day, especially in this economy.

Have you ever seen the people standing outside of stores with signs that say "Puppies for sale" or "Free puppies"? You know the people who take those puppies have no idea what they're in for. Soon that puppy will end up in the same shelters as the other dogs, once the new owners realize they can't handle the huge responsibility they've just taken on.

The reason why these things happen is because people do not spay and neuter their dogs.

If your dog is not fixed, find a program or a low-cost vet in your area and just GET IT DONE. It will prolong your dog's life and make things happier for everyone.

My advice to anyone contemplating owning a dog is this:

DO YOUR RESEARCH.

~Research the time and money that go into owning a dog. It's not a game. You need to be willing to give up hanging out with friends and going on vacation. You need to be able to afford things like dog food (the good stuff ain't cheap), vet bills and people to take care of your dog when you're not available. You're basically adopting a child.

~Will you have time to care for a dog? If coming home from work and taking your dog out for at least a 20 minute walk, even if it's raining, doesn't sound like fun to you, then a dog is not for you. Even if you have a backyard, dogs need exercise too.

~Research the breed you are interested in. Know what the dog was bred for(to determine activity level and temperment), what kind of grooming it will need, how big the dog will be at maturity, etc. Talk to a breeder when you find a breed you like, they will answer questions if they really care about their breed.

~If you're looking into adoption, find out what breeds/crossbreeds are at your local shelter and research their individual breed traits. The ASPCA dog handbook has a few sections specifically dealing with different dog mixes (toy mixes, shephard mixes, lab mixes, the list goes on and on). Even mutts are decipherable if you take the time to learn about them.

~Don't EVER buy a puppy from a pet store. Why? 95% of the time those puppies are from puppy mills. This means their lives (as well as their parents' lives) have been spent in cages with little human interaction. Most of the time they have genetic disorders or illnesses caused by living in cramped quarters and walking in their own filth. The pet stores who sell puppies charge exorbitant amounts for puppies they've paid almost nothing for. It's a SICK industry that needs to be shut down.

While I could write for hours on this subject, I will end my rant here. I hope someone takes something good away from this. It is a subject I am passionate about.

Our dog Apollo lived outside in a backyard for two years, spent months in a cage at a rescue agency and endured a flea infested existence tied to a sliding glass door before coming to us.

More Dog Park Adventures

My husband and I recently moved back to a city in Northern California that has an itsy bitsy dog park. While it's nice to have separation between the large and small dog sections of the park, sometimes the area is not large enough to hold the dog personalities that are within its gates. Last Saturday we decided to give our pup the chance to roam off-leash at this tiny park, with unfortunate results.

As we arrived we were pleased to see four other small dogs (three terriers and a toy poodle mix) had also come to play. Suddenly, as we got closer to the entrance gate, a fight broke out between the miniature pinscher and toy poodle/bichon frise cross who were nearest to where we stood. This action immediately caused me to put my dog behavior goggles on, because I knew I'd need to watch the min-pin carefully. Little did I know, he was not the real aggressor.

I soon noticed two rat terriers sitting with a rather large woman over to the side of all the dog action. She had one dog in her lap (in my opinion a no-no at the dog park, as it promotes aggressive behavior) and the other was slinking around her, ears back, tail between his legs. I heard the owners of the min-pin and bichon mix discussing this woman quite loudly, "Her dogs attacked mine two on one and she did nothing to stop it," "Her dog attacked my dog too!" My gaze quickly changed from the harmless min-pin to the lurking terriers across the way.

Dog behavior is not always easy to decipher, but there are signs of aggression that show themselves before an attack. I believe the reason why we saw the miniature pinscher attack the poodle mix was because both had been agitated by the two aggressive rat terriers. I decided to keep an eye on them, in case they went after Apollo. Within a few minutes I noticed that the terrier on the ground was now stalking Apollo. Every time our dog ran within 5 feet of the terriers' owner, this little bugger would run out in an attempt to intimidate. I kept my eye on him and, soon enough, the attack happened.

The aggression in this little dog was intense. Fear aggression is the worst kind, because you never know how it's going to manifest itself. I believe this little dog was also feeling territorial, since his owner was sitting in her chair with the other terrier on her lap. He felt the need to show there was a boundary that no dog in the park could cross. As soon as Apollo got close enough (about 3 feet away from the woman), the rat terrier charged, fangs bared, growls emitted, snarls building and went right for Apollo's throat! To my surprise, the woman did nothing. She just watched as her dog viciously attacked mine. Apollo was surprised and didn't know how to react. He can be dominant, but he's not big into fighting other dogs.

I realized the woman was not going to respond and decided to intervene. I walked quickly over and, without physically intervening (that is never a safe move, dogs can't distinguish a human hand from a dog body in the heat of the moment) I yelled out, "HEY!" Which caused the rat terrier to lose focus and allowed Apollo to escape. The woman suddenly came to life and said "No", as if this would help the situation. I decided not to scold the woman, although I wanted to, because the last thing we needed now was human drama. I kept Apollo over with the other dogs, who were playing well together now, and let Jace know what had happened. Now we were both keeping our eye on the rat terriers.

Apollo quickly went back into play mode and brought us part of a tennis ball to throw. As my husband threw the ball, I noticed it landed right next to the rat terriers' "territory". Apollo ran to get the ball and was sideswiped, again, by the unstoppable force that resided in that area of the dog park. As with before, the rotund mass of an owner did NOTHING to dissuade her dog! Jace was not having this and put himself between Apollo and mini-Cujo. He even had to push the dog away with his foot, it was so caught up in the attack! Eventually the lady stood up and quietly asked Jace if he had any food in his pocket, as if this was his fault. How rude! She tried, unsuccessfully, to round up her dogs and then sat back down in her chair. This was getting ridiculous!!!

Jace and I made the decision to take Apollo out of the small dog park and bring him over to the any-size side, even though there were some larger dogs there. Within about 5 minutes of us walking out, the lady with the rat terriers left. Good riddance!

My goal in publishing this blog is to keep people aware of what to watch for not only in dog behavior, but in humans as well. If you see an owner doing nothing to stop his or her aggressive dogs, leave the dog park or call the dog park authorities, if their number is listed somewhere in the park. It's not worth the risk of your dog getting hurt to stick around and allow these behaviors to continue. Another thing we could have done was to try and get the other women in the park to stand up to the rat terrier owner with us, but they didn't seem too willing. Take precaution when you see an owner with a dog sitting on his/her lap. This does spike the chances of aggressive reactions.

Remember to watch and listen while at the dog park. There are ways to keep fights from happening. Move your dog to another area if aggressive behavior is shown. Leave the dog park altogether if your dog is the one showing hardcore aggression. Any dog who has fear is a loaded gun. Watch out for dogs who stick super close to their owners and lash out at any dog who walks by. Just keep an eye out for anything that doesn't seem friendly. We need our dog parks to be fun places to visit, not hotbeds of aggressive behavior!

Aggressive Behavior at the Dog Park

I try to bring Apollo, my chihuahua/shiba inu mix, to the dog park as often as possible. Not only does he enjoy running around off leash, he also savors the interaction with other dogs his size. Socialization is important for dogs of any age (but don't bring your puppy to the dog park until it has ALL of its shots).

Last weekend as I stood with my fiance on the "small dog side" of our local dog park my gaze wandered through the chain link fence over to some big dogs introducing themselves on the "big dog side". I immediately noticed that one pitbull, a grey and white neutered male, was showing somewhat hidden signs of aggression toward another pit in the group. I mentioned to my fiance that in a minute there would be a dog fight and he asked how I could tell. "Ears back, tail straight up, not wagging, eyes fixed and head lowered slightly," I replied, thinking everyone else must notice it too. To my surprise, the aggressive pit's owner stayed on her iphone, jabbering away as her dog commenced his attack on the innocent tan-colored pit mix he had been stalking. My fiance and I watched until someone finally pulled the grey dog off, swearing at the woman to keep control of her dog. She never even broke from her phone conversation.

These fights happen daily at the dog park, usually on the "big dog side". I feel that if dog owners paid more attention there would be a drop in dog park violence. Even on the "small dog side" there are acts of offensive aggression that could be avoided if owners would take responsibility for their dogs. The same day I saw the pitbull fight, there was also a fight involving two small dogs. One dog just lunged after another with no obvious provocation. The attack lasted much longer than it should have because the aggressive dog's owner was across the park seated under a tree instead of keeping an eye on her dog. By the time she had meandered over to where all the commotion was, we had already broken up the fight for her. She didn't apologize, just picked up her dog and started talking to it, "oh, you bad puppy...be nice to the other dogs." Really?

Don't get me wrong, there are certain aggressive behaviors that can be tolerated at the dog park. For instance, if a dog is being pestered constantly by another dog, then the pestered pup has the right to give the signal to back off (air nip, bared teeth, slight snarl). Or, if one dog becomes too enamored with another and begins to...ahem...hump, then the humpee has the right to teach the humper a lesson. These are things no dog park will ever be without. I've seen men yell at each other in the grocery store, and I'd say the two are pretty similar. There is a line, however, that a dog should not be allowed to cross. Unprovoked attacks and pack mentality attacks (where one dog starts the fight and others join in on the "fun") should not be tolerated. Once a dog has shown signs of this behavior it should immediately be taken home and a trainer should be notified. Some people may not agree, but I think these are the dangerous aggressive behaviors to watch out for.

Other signs of unhealthy aggression include: hiding behind "mommy" or "daddy" and lashing out at any dog brave enough to come sniffing (fear aggression) and barking or nipping at humans in the dog park. This should not be allowed. It only promotes bad behavior. Also, allowing your dog to pester another dog could be the cause of a fight. And finally, if you decide to bring Fluffy's toys to the dog park, be aware that this could cause tension. Plus, you will most likely lose your toy. It's better just to let the dogs play with each other. Toys (besides tennis balls) should stay home.

Another often overlooked trigger of aggression at the dog park is an unneutered/unspayed dog who wanders in. Owners with dogs who aren't fixed should NEVER bring their dogs to the dog park. Male and female dogs alike will feel threatened by an unfixed dog and may attack. I've seen intact males swarmed by neutered males who just didn't want them around. And think about the fact that if you are bringing your intact dog to the dog park, so is someone else. Two intact males will fight, especially if a female is around. Do you really want to risk it?

All in all, the dog park is an AWESOME resource for city people who need somewhere to let their dogs run off-leash. Just remember that when your dog is around other dogs and humans you should be paying attention to their behaviors. Break up a dog fight before it begins!