Don't get me wrong. I'm all for Pitts. Such wonderful dogs. But yeah- this is a really dumb argument on so many levels. I am against bans on them and other social stigmas, but I wish people could come up with arguments that don't make a cause look worse or leave room for obvious prodding.
I think the point of the sign us just saying to not hate a dog simply because of its breed, but to hate the evil people who made the dog become that. You should be afraid of the people and punishing the people for forcing a dog to become something to be feared. My two Pitts were originally rescued fight dogs, but now they're the sweetest things.
I agree that's the likely intent, but that's not how the ending of the sign comes off. It is written as though the fact it's a humans fault excuses any possible danger, not so that it says that with proper care most any do can be rehabilitated. It's an important distinction as nothing about the sign actually implies Pitts aren't dangerous, it just explains why some are. It's the difference between saying to me "with oversight and help this convicted felon is no more a danger than your neighbor" and "it's not his fault he stabbed someone, his parents were cruel and his dad made him fight to get his love." Ok- I understand now, but most people still wouldn't want to live next to the guy. It's subtle but meaningful, the message gets lost. But agreed it is not those loving babies faults and they can almost all be saved. Also- good on you for taking hose dogs in. I grew up around rescue Pitts, but only one had been started to train to fight but never had fought. He was the best dog though.
No. A lot of "fight dogs" get ears clipped and tails. In a fight it's one less thing to grab, like human fighters cutting their hair short. People do it as breed standard for a lot of dogs though to make them look "alert" or tough. Pitts, boxers, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and other breeds who are born with floppy ears that don't become erect with age often have it done for aesthetics. The folded ears are thought to look too puppy like. There are a few functional arguments in working or fighting dogs, but tail and ear cropping is primarily done for looks outside this narrow range. In specific cases it can be medically necessary but that's usually case by case.
I have met many pit bulls that were sweet as could be but I’m not totally comfortable around them. This is also true of several other specific breeds of dogs. It’s not about their nature, it’s acknowledging their potential to inflict damage. I feel like I could take on a pug or two and probably hold my own against a golden retriever but a pit or a Rottweiler would be a very lopsided fight and I would be the loser.
Now any one individual dog may or may not be prone to violence but any of them can become scared and lash out instinctively; if that happens to me I’d prefer to have a chance in hell.
I went to a family zoo once and was asking the owner if he ever played with the puma because it was so friendly. He told me that he did not because no matter how sweet it was it still had claws that could rip out his throat and it wasn’t worth the risk of an unfortunate accident.
Pumas haven't been selectively bred over the course of tens of thousands of years. You can hardly compare domesticated animals to wild animals.
You can't take the wild out of wolves, so we took the wolf out of wolves instead.
I wasn’t comparing the animals exactly. Just a parallel on how damage potential affects the risk decision. I’ve been bitten three times by dogs in my life. All of them were no ones fault really. Just a dog defending his back yard, one trying to get a toy, and one being surprised. The Jack Russell did a lot less damage than the German Shepard.
I thought the bottom part with the guy holding the sign was a reaction image. I tried to figure out what his face was supposed to express for a solid minute.
Now any one individual dog may or may not be prone to violence but any of them can become scared and lash out instinctively; if that happens to me I’d prefer to have a chance in hell.
I went to a family zoo once and was asking the owner if he ever played with the puma because it was so friendly. He told me that he did not because no matter how sweet it was it still had claws that could rip out his throat and it wasn’t worth the risk of an unfortunate accident.
You can't take the wild out of wolves, so we took the wolf out of wolves instead.