Tag Archives: rescue

My Why of Pit Bull Ownership and The Pit Bull Problem

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I often get asked a ton of questions when people find out I own pit bulls.  The questions typically range from “Oh, my God!  You own baby killers?  Aren’t you afraid they will hurt your kids?” to “Oh, how awesome!  Do you breed and can I get one of your puppies?”.  (Truth be told, I absolutely hate both of those example questions, but I get them both all too frequently!)

I filter through the questions now like a pro.  I almost have to at this point since Luna will be nine years old in a few short weeks.  I stay honest and try to keep my answers to the point and void of emotion.  Why do I do that? Well, let’s face it…we all love our dogs, but people who own pit bulls need to realize that the breed has developed a bit of a problem because of its popularity and because of that popularity there and the problems associated with it, there are people who abhor the breed with a passion.  There are far too many hands in the cookie jar when it comes to these dogs – breeder, rescuer, and pet owner…we all play a part in the problem and we need to play a part in the solution.

The question that I get asked the most is one that still makes me think long and hard on an answer for.  Well, I’ll start with the tale of the first time I was asked the infamous question, “Why did you pick the pit bull as your breed of choice?”

We were at the Novi Pet Expo and Ryker was just a youngster at the time.  We’d gotten him one of the silly clown collars to wear to keep him occupied trying to capture and also to look bloody cute.  He succeeded at the latter, but not so much the former.  While he was busy rolling around on the ground and looking like a nerd we had woman came up to our booth and looked over the pseudo barriers at the silly looking puppy rolling around on the floor.  She had scars all over her arms and a couple on her face and she was apprehensive near the dogs.

She asked me that fateful question after relaxing a bit realizing neither Luna nor Ryker had even the slightest bit of bad body language toward her.  I don’t remember exactly how I answered her in a way that made her feel comfortable telling me she had been attacked by one nearly three years prior by a dog that looked similar to the wiggling, brindle idiot on the floor next to me.  It made me sad and angry knowing these facts – going through all of that by a breed I love and cherish.  This woman, through all of this, didn’t hate the breed.  She blamed the dog that did it and the owner…not the breed as a whole.  She was still rightfully scared of them but not so much that she asked to pet Ryker who willingly threw himself at her and presented his belly.

It was truly an eye opener that despite all of the bad examples showing up in the newspaper nearly every single day that there is still reason to work to salvation the breed’s reputation.  Now, to get back on the topic since I rambled off a bit.  Why did I pick the pit bull as my breed of choice?

To this day, I can honestly say that I never pictured myself owning the breed.  They weren’t even on my radar.

I saw myself owning a Malamute or a Siberian Husky truthfully.  Those two breeds reminded me of wolves and the closer to my favorite totem animal and I drooled over having one.  I realized that I was absolutely out of my mind after doing research on both breeds that neither was suited for me or my lifestyle.

My first on-my-own, real experience with a pit bull in my adult life made me fall head over heels for the breed.  Angel was a deaf, solid white girl with bright green eyes.  She needed a place to rest and heal before being placed and I was apparently the ‘perfect’ place.  I didn’t know she was a pit bull at first and once I found out I was enthralled and, admittedly, a little scared at the time.  She wasn’t with me long but I knew at that time I found my breed.  The stability, the temperament, the energy level, the avenues I could pursue with them was endless like my imagination.  I couldn’t stop thinking of all the things I could do with my very own pit bull.

Sure, I knew the horror stories about the baby killers and people maulers.  I also knew the realities in the breed. These dogs are NOT for everyone and they have their flaws – like the fact that a good portion of these dogs do not prefer the company of other canines or small and fuzzy creatures.  Let’s face the facts – these dogs ultimately became the best dog-on-dog combat animals bred by man, but that same selective breeding allowed for human stability unmatched – when properly selected FOR that temperament.

That being said, there are far too many people that I see and hear about with these dogs that makes me want to cringe.  They don’t deserve these dogs.  Only about 60% of those who own, breed or rescue these dogs need to be doing that in my opinion.  That number may be higher or lower, but far too many people get these dogs as an ego extension and don’t realize the hard work that goes into making a good bully breed ambassador.

There is far too much greed in breeders (not all, but many). Sadly, it isn’t just the BYBs trying to make a living.  Some ‘responsible’ and well known breeders have fallen off the wagon by producing too many or subpar dogs.  They have put aside health testing or even titling their dogs.  It’s a shame really because people should look at the ethics of a responsible breeder and know they truly want to improve and help the breed and not just keep reproducing the same crap over and over again.

Many rescuers are just as guilty as the breeders they abhor.  I’m sure everyone has heard the same mantra:  ‘Don’t Breed or Buy While Shelter Animals Die’.  The want to believe that the ‘No Kill’ philosophy means saving every animal that graces their doors.  The reality is so much more different that it’s sad.

Since the ‘No Kill’ philosophy is based on saving animals that are adoptable dogs that are shy, fearful, aggressive toward people or children, unmanaged aggression toward other animals (the kind of unmanaged that may mean a re-direct or inability to change the dog’s direction through focusing on something other than the other animal/dog) shouldn’t be on the list considered adoptable – especially with pit bulls and their mixes.
Many rescuers see a sad face and want to save the animal, but the reality is that if it isn’t safe, is scared to death of the world around it (which may likely mean a fear biter) or too sick to treat, the kindest option is humane euthanization.  It sucks, but rescuers are the cleanup crew for the stupid pet owners and of the world and they need to be strong and save only the best knowing that stable dog may die if they save the dog cowering in the back of the kennel.

Pet owners are the final problem and in many cases, the biggest one.  Far too many people go out and get a dog and don’t research the breed and this isn’t any different for new pit bull owners.  They go to the pound a local rescue group or even a breeder and expect this magical creature that they’ve been told about only to learn that there is a lot of work that goes into these dogs – training, socialization, exercise, etc. – and more often than not, it causes new owners to get into a bit of trouble for their lack of research (or sometimes media reaching trouble if they didn’t pick out a stable dog).

This isn’t to say that there aren’t pet owners who don’t do a ton of research and many who do some research but learn and continue to grow over time (I can name a good many I know who continue to learn and grow even after minimal research), however the alarming number of media stories happening because of a ‘pit bull attack’ needs to stop and until people face the realization that the pit bull might not be for them then we’ll continue to have this issue.

I am no expert in the breed and I’m continually learning, reading and schooling myself to better the lives of my dogs, however I ultimately chose this breed because I wanted a dog that could do everything (and researched, and researched…and researched some more) – a phenomenal sport dog and family companion.  I’ve succeeded with the dogs I have now and gone above and beyond my expectations and work to set new goals and tasks to keep their minds busy and me learning new things and couldn’t ask for a better breed for my lifestyle and what I want to accomplish in life.

Responsible Breeding and the American Pit Bull Terrier

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The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is idolized as ‘America’s Dog,’ but yet this dog dies by the hundreds and thousands in shelters across the nation.  ‘America’s Dog’ has become ‘America’s Epidemic’ because of the mass amounts of puppies being pumped into this world by irresponsible breeders who are only looking for the next buck that they’ll make from the puppies they produce.  The end result for many of these dogs is the back room where they will be euthanized by either lethal injection or gas chamber.  If you have never sat through a mass euthanization of unwanted dogs, cats and other animals it is truly depressing.  These animals know, despite the cooing, pets and kind words that they are going to die.  If you don’t believe me and don’t want to sit on the real thing, there are many videos out there on Google on the hard work that shelter staff must go through when an animal’s time is ‘up.’

You will hear the same mantra every single day by those who spend countless hours cross posting, fostering, volunteering and saving these dogs and other animals from an uncertain fate to not “breed or buy while shelter animals die.”  These people live the day to day of cleaning up after those individuals who do not give a flying rip where the offspring of their beloved Fido that they just had to breed to make a buck.  As an appreciator of purebred dogs, I find this utterly appalling that they have to go through this.  The reality of the matter for breeders and other fanciers is that we must police our own.  We are our brother’s keeper for the fate of ‘America’s Dog’, the APBT.

The term breeder is not a favorable description in the rescue community and with what they go through, it doesn’t surprise me either.  The difference between your ordinary, run of the mill “breeder” (also known as a BYB, backyard breeder or puppy peddler) and the responsible breeder is a set of morals and ethics when they produce a litter.

  • Responsible breeders take the time to verify the parentage of their dogs through DNA-profiling.
  • Responsible breeders health test their dogs against potential genetic disorders like hip and elbow dysplasia, cardiac conditions, thyroid problems, luxating patellas or other potential genetic hazards and allow the risk of these issues to be minimized versus blindly breeding and having some unsuspected puppy buyer from suffering with hundreds and thousands of dollars in veterinary expenses.
  • Responsible breeders screen potential puppy buyers extensively.  Their questionnaires and contracts leave little to the imagination and has the intention of bringing forth a home that will maintain the dog for the 12-15 years it will live there properly.
  • Responsible breeders show their dogs in conformation and working events like weight pull, obedience, agility, rally, dock diving, etc. and encourage people who want offspring from one of their breedings to do the same through reputable registries like the UKC, AKC and ADBA.  (All of the above mentioned sports, including conformation are open to altered dogs with the United Kennel Club (UKC) for APBTs with permanent registration and all sporting events are open to rescue dogs of unknown lineage through their Limited Privilege Program.)
  • Responsible breeders encourage spaying and neutering (and often offer incentives) of dogs that are not considered breeding quality.
  • Responsible breeders microchip/tattoo their puppies and register them prior to the puppy leaving for its permanent home.
  • Responsible breeders take back a dog or puppy that does not work out in its original home and cares for it until it can find a more suitable, permanent home and realize that not every home, no matter how well-screened and hand-picked will work out.

The above mentioned points are just a few of the checks and balances that breeders impose on themselves to ensure that they are breeding to improve and not continually pump out animals that will likely end up in a shelter or on a euth list.  There are many more, but it would take many more blog posts to even begin to go into them.  For a general code of ethics for responsible breeders, I suggest going here.

While the rescue community often seeks to lynch those who breed, they lump all breeders together – those that are responsible and those that peddle.  The two groups are not interchangeable because responsible breeders work to keep the offspring they produce out of shelter system by breeding infrequently and screening heavily for proper placement and they also often help out rescue groups.  Ultimately, without purebred breeders…responsible purebred breeders, we will lose breeds and the domesticated canine population would die out in 20+ years with nothing but spayed/neutered animals around.  While it’s not the brightest outlook, it’s the reality.  We ultimately need responsible breeders for all breeds to continue to breed high quality dogs and shelters, rescues and adopters to help eliminate the overpopulation problem that is occurring now while we work to eliminate two main problems in canine society – breed specific legislation and puppy peddlers.