Skeptical Greg
Agave Wine Connoisseur
There is a clue in the name.
( Did you mean: Do they deserve a bad rep ? )
Last edited:
There is a clue in the name.
( Did you mean: Do they deserve a bad rep ? )
shandyjan
Master Poster
http://www.k9obedience.co.uk/dogbreed/pitbullterrier.html
"Devoted breeders began to breed dogs that were less aggressive, gentle family loving dogs. Problems arose when nefarious individuals decided that backyard breeding could mass produce puppies for profit. As with all backyard breeders, dogs were produced with unstable characters and aggressive tendencies. Unsurprisingly this led to attacks on humans and other dogs and earned any dog that even faintly resembled a pit bull the title of ‘dangerous dog'."
"Devoted breeders began to breed dogs that were less aggressive, gentle family loving dogs. Problems arose when nefarious individuals decided that backyard breeding could mass produce puppies for profit. As with all backyard breeders, dogs were produced with unstable characters and aggressive tendencies. Unsurprisingly this led to attacks on humans and other dogs and earned any dog that even faintly resembled a pit bull the title of ‘dangerous dog'."
sadhatter
Philosopher
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2009
- Messages
- 8,694
Yeah, a few provinces have laws banning them, but in most of them you can own a skunk, just not a black and white skunk. ( though if i were to get one, i would want your typical black and white skunk. Other breeds, while still pretty cute, tend to just look like weird cats , imho. ).
It kills me for many reasons, one being skunks were domesticated by natives in north america for quite some time before us white people got here, and they have made great pets to them. Another being that i could understand not being able to own one if removing their stink gland harmed them. But from all research i have seen, this either has no negative or a small positive effect in the form of a slightly longer average life span.
The logic of the ban, from everything i can find is that it would be fairly easy to trap wild skunks and sell them as pets. To me this is a wee bit suspect for 2 reasons. ( well more than 2, but when i could rant about skunks for pages.)
1. Wandering around a forest looking for wild skunks, seems like not only a bad idea , but one that would be pretty easy to spot. I mean who would want to intentionally put themselves in a situation in which they would be scaring a wild skunk , without a lot of protection?
2. This practice is already very common with cats. Wild ' farm cats' for lack of a better term. Are very commonly sold to pet stores ( when they are kittens.) and yet there has not been any bans on cats.
Above and beyond that i feel that the current practice of straight up killing the skunk ( regardless of if it is spayed, has its papers from an area that it is legal, was an animal you nursed back to health from a trap, etc) is wrong. If they don't want them here that is one thing, give someone a fine. But if its not going to breed, killing it seems.....lazy at best, and cruel at worst, to me.
I honestly think it is simply a law that got established quite some time ago, and there is not enough people that want a skunk to get it changed. Ironically i feel that if people know more about them this would change, but try mentioning to people the idea of a pet skunk and the first reaction is an eye rolling " that would be gross.".
Tricky
Briefly immortal
And that's enough for them to deserve their bad reputation. It really doesn't matter whether the high-percentage of pit bull attacks is due to puppy mills or bad owners or vicious owners or something in the breed itself. The fact that they have a record of being very dangerous is enough to make reasonable people have a justifiable fear of them.
Also, they were bred to have mouths and jaws that favor holding and ripping, something poodles (the dogs that bite the most often) do not.
My position as well. Australia's larger states have banned them, including mine. Thankfully.
sadhatter
Philosopher
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2009
- Messages
- 8,694
this is pretty much why i support our current laws.
Pitbulls work awesome as landmines with fur. Sure they may make decent pets ( though in my experience they are prone to violent outbursts..) as well, but the way they are put together makes them excellent for a quick surprise damaging attack.
And being decent pets may make it worse, i mean the pit in my example is alive and well today, and still a family pet.If any other dog bit this person's child they would have fought tooth and nail to have it put down.But 4 incidents later the dog is still alive and well. Why? Because most of the time it is a sweetheart, but most of the time doesn't cut it really. Maybe if a bite caused a red mark, or a bit of blood, but when a bite can cause serious damage, most of the time is pretty crappy odds.
sthomson
Muse
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2007
- Messages
- 930
Minor quibble: This is not a record of ALL dog attacks. It states this in the introductory paragraph.
To me, this link seems to indicate that Rottweilers are proportionally more dangerous to children than Pit Bulls are.
Marduk
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2009
- Messages
- 10,183
ahhh so there you go,
its not the pitbulls fault at all
its the fact that most of them are inbred, demented and want to eat you alive thats the problem
best check your pitbull, if it has webbed claws then its dangerous
if it has a cleft lip youre really in trouble
Tricky
Briefly immortal
How about fatal attacks? According to the Center for Disease Control, Pit Bulls accounted for 60 of 199 fatal dog attacks from 1979 to 1996. Second place was Rottweilers with 29.
If Pit Bulls have fewer total attacks but more fatalities, that indicates to me that they are less likely to let go before you're dead. Nice.
If Pit Bulls have fewer total attacks but more fatalities, that indicates to me that they are less likely to let go before you're dead. Nice.
Last edited:
sthomson
Muse
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2007
- Messages
- 930
That table doesn't seem to take population into account.
Skeptical Greg
Agave Wine Connoisseur
Steelmage
Muse
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2005
- Messages
- 656
I had a big Rottweiler that thought he was a puppy. At Pet stores people would come up to him and pet him, he would let it happen, or give them a sad puppy face to get treats from them. He was not a full Rottweiler, he was mixed with another type of dog. He weighted like 150 lbs..
Marduk
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2009
- Messages
- 10,183
Between 1991 and 2003 there were 73 attacks on people by moutain lions, of which 10 were fatal averaging 5.6 per years with an average of almost 1 fatality
so lets hope some loon doesnt start breeding mountain lions as pets in his backyard or you Usians are really going to be in trouble
The most dangerous animal in the UK is the Scottish Wild Haggis, responsible for some 322 American tourist deaths in the last decade
apparently size isn't everything, the most dangerous animal in the world is the Mosquito
Last edited:
I have no immediately handy stats, but it's plenty.
An acquaintance of mine is a leading equine insurance lawyer; equitation is the most dangerous leisure activity in the UK.
Anecdotes: My mother was thrown from a horse and spent several months unconscious. Another friend was holding a huge gelding by the head collar, when something spooked him and he reared. Caught unawares, my friend was whipped off her feet by the lead rope, and was underneath the horse when he came down again. It was not pretty.
I had the same exact thing happen to me. I am a really big guy, 6'4 250lbs and the horse took me off my feet spun around 360 degrees broke my wrist and stepped on my thigh leaving the nastiest bleeding bruise I have ever had, but no one even once thought it was anyone's fault but my own. Edit: oh yea and the horse bit me.
Really animals, just like children, are not 100% responsible for there actions, we all know that they can be dangerous, that we need to respect that, to take precautions, and perhaps it does require specific legislation (insurance, proper facilities, certification, ect.) to require owner responsibility, but banning is really just the lazy route, and IMHO leads to a less then free society, one I would prefer us not endorse.
Last edited:
Marduk
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2009
- Messages
- 10,183
I just saw your future in a psychic vision, beaten senseless by released prisoner on Dartmoor and robbed of your backpack you attempt to make it on your broken legs to a nearby road when the ponies see you as a quick meal
see you're not big enough, if that had been me I would have knocked its teeth out
Last edited:
Fat Bottom Gurl
Hot Tub Hottie
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2004
- Messages
- 534
I have both cats and dogs and they get along just great - play with each other, groom each other.
I've posted this link on a similar pitbull thread:
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
"FIND THE PITBULL
For many people, a Pit Bull is a a big headed dog, or a dog with cropped ears. For some it's a brindle dog, a big, stocky dog, or one with an eye patch.
Quite often dogs that attack are identified as pit bulls when they are not. There are 20+ breeds that are commonly incorrectly identified as pit bulls. Visit Understand-a-bull for more information. "
I just saw your future in a psychic vision, beaten senseless by released prisoner on Dartmoor and robbed of your backpack you attempt to make it on your broken legs to a nearby road when the ponies see you as a quick meal
see you're not big enough, if that had been me I would have knocked its teeth out
I know you're a big lad Mar, but when an 18 hand cob drops all it's weight onto your forehead, you'll know all about it
I'm not worried about prisoners, but I avoid those damn ponies like the plague
