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 favorite word: RESEARCH

Many people have a favorite word. It may be a word that sounds neat, like "scrumptious", or a word that has great meaning, like "grandiose". It may even be something that makes no sense, like "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious". Well, I have a favorite word and it is simple: research.

This word pertains to the pet world in a HUGE way, because it's what pet ownership is all about. Before, during and after your time with a pet, this is all you'll be doing! When contemplating a new pet you should always head to the library or log on to the internet before making that final decision. While I'm of the mind that pet knowledge is all subjective, there are so many concrete needs that each different pet has, that it's just plain dumb NOT to research!

Imagine yourself in a pet store. You are walking around, checking out all the different animals when all of a sudden you see the PERFECT little pet! It's a dwarf hamster and it's cleaning its little whiskers just waiting for you to take it home. You look around for an employee and see no one. Figuring you'll find someone to help get the hamster out of its cage later, you wander off to search for supplies. Do you know what you'd need to start a dwarf hamster off right in your home? I'll give you some time to think about it...

...Okay, time's up! So, what did you decide on? A cage? What kind of cage? Are the bars small enough so that this little Houdini could never fit through them? Bedding? If you thought of bedding with a scent, you should just turn around and walk out of the store now. Any of those scented beddings are dangerous to small animals. The cedar chips may smell good to you, but your hamster is bound to end up with a respiratory issue, as their systems are more sensitive than ours. Go for something like Carefresh bedding. It's made from recycled newspaper and has no scent. Be aware that you will be changing this cage often. At LEAST once a week. Want some more ideas of what you should have purchased in order to start this pet off right?

1. Proper food - be sure it's a hamster mix. There are all different kinds of small animal food, so be sure to choose one that suits your small animal. Also, be aware that it will have to be changed daily. Hamsters tend to walk on their own waste, then dig through their food. They are also going to leave seed husks behind, so the bowl will look more full than it is.

2. A water bottle that fits in the cage and has a spout small enough for a tiny mouth - don't get something big just because it means less work for you. It should be changed at least every other day. The water gets stale and yucky. Would you want to drink that?

3. A chew block - Small animal teeth never stop growing, so they need something hard to wear their teeth down on. If you don't give them something like this the teeth will grow too long and the hamster can starve to death. Always keep an eye on their teeth.

4. An exercise wheel - Hamsters have a ton of energy. They sleep all day and party all night. The exercise wheel is crucial in giving them somewhere to expend that energy. I recommend a plastic wheel because tiny hamster paws can get stuck in the mesh of a metal wheel. PLUS, plastic wheels tend to make less noise. Just make sure the wheel is sturdy.

5. A covered hamster house - As I said, hamsters are nocturnal. They need a dark place to sleep during the day. A house will become the hamster's hiding place, storage area and bed. On a side note: Do not lift the house and grab the hamster while it's sleeping. This is how people get hurt. The first thing a hamster does when threatened like this is to bite. Always give the hamster time to wake up before putting your hands in its face.

6. TONS of bedding - The animal is small, yes, but it is also very messy. Food, water, urine, and poop will litter the bottom of a hamster cage within hours of it being cleaned. Be ready to clean that sucker almost daily.
NOTES:
*You can make cage cleaning day easier by getting a hamster potty, which sits in a corner of the cage and is exactly what it sounds like. Many small animals do their "business" in only one corner of the cage. This works to our advantage as it means we don't have to search as hard to find problem areas.
*Spot cleaning is another good way to keep your hamster happy. Go through daily and remove anything icky with a scooper. Replace any of the bedding you took out with new bedding and your hamster will be happier! This doesn't mean you won't have to clean the cage on that designated day, it just makes life better for your furry friend.
*The smell of ammonia (the chemical in urine that smells so bad) is what turns MANY people off of owning a caged mammal. They do make ammonia absorbing litter to go under the bedding. I highly recommend this stuff as it cuts down the smell a lot.

I could go on and on with this list, putting in everything that a hamster can have, but I'll stick to the essentials. Usually once I get this list started for the parent who's been thinking about getting a hamster for his or her child, the parent is ready to head to the fish department and look for something a little easier (not that fish are any less work - an aquarium is even harder to care for than a small animal).

So, after hearing about all of this stuff are you still interested in that cute little hamster? If so, good! Hamsters have their moods, but tend to be friendly pets(when properly cared for and handled the right way). Remember, the dwarf hamster was just an example. EVERY pet you may be thinking of getting requires just as much, if not more, research and education.

NEVER walk into a pet store with no knowledge of what you're looking for. If you've just gone in to look, leave empty handed, but with an idea of what pet you're interested in researching. The animal will thank you, and you'll thank yourself in the long run.

I will warn you that every pet store is different. There are differing ideas on everything from bedding to animal behavior. If you have knowledge, you'll be able to take what they're telling you and make an informed decision as to what will work for you. Don't just take their word for it.

Remember this statement: research saves lives. Before I was a knowledgeable animal lover, I was ignorant to many of the needs different animals have. I put goldfish in small bowls, instead of the aquariums they need to survive. I let my mice go for weeks without cleaning their cages, subjecting them to a disgusting life I wouldn't wish on anyone or anything. I brought home lizards thinking they'd be fine in a plastic traveling tank with some dirt sprinkled on the bottom. Many animals lost their lives on my watch, and I'd like to see less of this happening in our world today. I hope my blog can help even one goldfish, mouse or lizard to live a happy healthy life by spreading the word about RESEARCH.

Please don't let your kids learn the hard way. Teach them how to teach themselves. Education is a tool to be used by everyone.