I have a pit bull and I'm not afraid to use it...

Sometimes I just hate people. You know, people who breed a dog for bad reasons (like Michael Vick, who famously bred pit bulls to kill each other), people who make blanket statements and don't know what the hell they're talking about, people who condemn an entire race or population because of the actions of one or a few. I believe they're called bigots. You might remember Adolf Hitler.

ALL PIT BULLS ARE EVIL. THEY MUST BE DESTROYED.

Recently, one of my least favorite politicians decided that, since all pit bulls are evil, we must not allow them in our state. (as quoted in the Oregonian November 28, 2008, "Representative Starr is offering legislation that will make it illegal to own a pit bull in the state of Oregon" http://www.oregonlive.com; if you live in Washington county, contact him via http://www.brucestarr.org/) He's working now on a bill that required pit bull owners to have massive million dollar insurance to cover the inevitable murderous rampage they will go on.

Um - WHAT??

Does that mean I get to oust him from the state because, after all, it is men who rape women and he is a man. So, if one man does that, all men have the ability, the tendency, the DESIRE to do so - we just won't know what sets them off. That guy standing in line next to me at Starbucks? He's got something no-good up his sleeve and I should be afraid - very afraid. After all - he is a MAN.

I am PISSED.

I'm pissed at the owners who let their dogs:
X Run loose
X Live in a yard without proper restraint
X Live outside all day and night to work up a sweat - and a frenzy - and don't exercise them properly
X Walk off leash - ever
X Play at dog parks without proper supervision
X Play at dog parks with a dog that shows aggression in any way
X Make statements like "they're just being dogs" when they kill a chicken, a squirrel, a yorkie
X Be bred for their aggressive tendencies, not their domesticated ones

I also despise owners who dump a poor, damaged pit bull - or other breed - at a shelter so someone else can take care of the problem they created. Jerks.

I have a phenomenal dog trainer, Brian. He worked with Ezmond, agreed that he is a cool dog, one of the better of the breed, has tons of potential.

POTENTIAL
That means tons and tons of work for me. I didn't have children expecting that in 6 weeks time I would have the perfect a child, an honor student that does no wrong and makes me tea. I can't expect anything nearing that from my dog.

The problem here is that we have a failure to communicate. There are too many people who treat their pitties like labs - letting them wander around like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. Allowing a dog to be aggressive in any way with people. (Yes, allowing. You should see the response if Ezmond gets too playful and teeth come into play - my kids both know how to take him down. In other words, just like what they learned when they were little - THERE WILL BE NO BITING ALLOWED. For his sake. One bite and he's through.)

Then there is the general misconception that there are no dog bites from other breeds - no other dogs bite people. You know, that daschund that bit my aunt's fingertip off after she asked if it was friendly. Our chocolate lab bit me when the kids were toddlers. Bad. Stitches bad. Then, because I, at the time, was a stupid owner, I continued to allow it in the house as it showed additional aggression toward me and especially my 18 month old son. Would you like to see the scar from when that Labrador bit my son on the face?

IT WAS MY FAULT.

I am the dog owner. I have a domesticated animal in my home. Domesticated or not, dogs act like dogs. They have prey instincts. Can sense a weaker creature. Have family history and bloodlines and breed history that help define what type of pet they will be. But they also have owners that teach them and train them and are responsible for their behavior. That is the most important piece of the puzzle. If we can rehabilitate criminals, we can rehabilitate dogs.

IT WAS MY FAULT

When a dog bites a person or attacks another dog (there were a staggering number -over 800,000 - of dog bites of humans requiring medical attention in the US last year. http://www.oregonvma.org/petowners/bites.asp) it is the fault and responsibility of the owner. Oregon has a "one bite" rule. A dog that bites another dog (the most typical form of aggression with pit bulls is dog to dog) is given a second chance. A dog that bites a human is not.

Now, what to do? I have a dog that I adopted from a shelter. He's smarter than hell and very headstrong. On a daily basis, I have to discipline him - he's still a toddler, after all, at 2. Acting out is expected but not tolerated. He's spoiled rotten - will wake us in the middle of the night whining "cover me up, mom. I'm cold!" and wants to be wrapped in a blanket. Jeez.

I don't know much about his history other than the family that had him before had a baby and realized, rightly so, that Ezmond the pit bull puppy and a new baby were not optimal for a happy family. He jumps up on people - still, even with consistent, solid training, he jumps up to hug you when he meets you. He weighs 70 pounds, all muscle. He likes to chase kids that are running, will try to take a ball away and play. A lab can get away with that. A pit bull can't.

Can you imagine the reaction of a fearful stranger if he jumped up on them? It could be the end. I've had people yell at me, threaten me, throw food over our fence to bait him. I am harassed when I walk him and I've come to a point where I only walk him where there are no other dogs - because so many people leave their dogs off leash and expect that my leashed dog will just play nicely. He walks calmly by on many occasions while some crappy little yappy dog barks like mad at him. And I have the vicious breed. And he would play with the off-leash dogs at the park - but the growl he lets out when he's playful sounds a lot like "I'm going to eat you - where's the ketchup?" to someone who doesn't know him or the breed.

Ezmond walks with his packs on and it's a slightly different story. He becomes a dog with a job, a working dog. He's less intimidating when he's wearing those big, green packs full of Campbells soup cans. The blisters he earns are worth it to change opinions. I have educated a number of people on the sweet, gentle, kind creatures that pit bulls can be. Ezmond is the poster child for the perfect balance of sweet and strong that made the breed popular and earned it the designation of "nanny dog" in the 1800s in Europe. Every good family had an American Staffordshire Terrier. They are so loyal to their masters that they will protect babies, guard a house, kill a dog or a coyote or a rat that comes near the baby. That's what they were bred for and when some stupid people in the mid-20th century decided to use that loyalty and strength to create a fun new sport called dog fighting, they all but destroyed the hope for this amazing breed.

Or did they?

Ezmond is going to become a canine good citizen. Brian thinks he'll earn his badge without trouble. He'll be a pit bull with the Good Citizen vest. When stupid people allow their out of control dogs to run free but freak out when they see Ezmond on his leash, I'll have more ammunition for letting them know that pit bulls won't harm a fly unless they're allowed to. I'll have to bite my tongue to keep from saying "kill" within earshot. Of course, he'd just look at me like I was nuts, beg for string cheese.

Of those 800,000 dog bites in the US last year, there were only (and I use the term "only" loosely because one death is too many in my humble opinion) 23 fatalities in the US. Of those 23 fatalities, NEARLY EVERY SINGLE ONE occurred from what the National Canine Research Council defines as "non-family dogs". These are dogs that live outside, are not socialized, monitored or trained. They don't walk with a backpack full of Campbells soup. They are not given love, attention and discipline. They, like many, many dogs in our society, are expected to train themselves, behave themselves and turn out ok in that cage, crate or on that chain. They are purchased and ignored to provide protection to people and their property - and, of course, sometimes their illegal activities.

This agency has a great message about dogs in general and "dangerous" breed specifically. "The Council has identified 23 canine-caused fatalities for 2008, as compared with 34 the prior year. Officials investigating the 2008 incidents claim to have identified 10 different breeds or types of dogs in connection with these 23 fatalities, though experts caution that breed attributions are usually made on the basis of physical impression, and should not be considered reliable." http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/year-end-report-2008.pdf

The ten breeds listed? Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Chow, Pit bull, Labrador, Doberman Pincer, Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Great Dane, Golden Retriever.

Yes, folks, golden retrievers should be considered killers. Sorry for the sarcasm. But there is one very obvious result of reviewing this information. Big dogs are capable of killing people.

But what about the little guys? Yorkie, daschund, shi tsu, jack russell, the yappy little guys that nip a finger but couldn't take someone down no matter how hard they try. Because they're small.

Small dogs are responsible for over 93% of all dog bites in the US according to the AKC. Small dog bites still hurt but are very unlikely to cause death unless an infection sets in or they have rabies.

So, what to do?

Dogs should be protected from biting! Don't allow a dog near you, your children, your pet unless you know the dog. Some dogs are dog park dogs, others are not - know the difference! DO NOT LET YOUR DOG OFF LEASH AT RANDOM PARKS. I don't care how nice or social your animal is, dogs should only be allowed to roam when confined and protected. Yours AND mine.

Advocate. Unless you're willing to oust all the men in the state to someplace else because, after all, men are the serial killers, rapists, stalkers, then don't expect anyone who has a love for and an understanding of dogs to allow ANY breed to be banned. And that great idea that my favorite legislator has for making all pit bull owners have special insurance (at the cost of almost a thousand dollars a month)? That lovely idea will cause pit bulls to flood the already overtaxed shelter system in our state. And yes, lots of pit bulls will be put to sleep. Maybe in doing that, they'll get rid of the one or two amongst the thousands that could have been a ticking time bomb. And those people that breed them to fight or raise them for protection? They'll be willing and able to have that insurance - just the cost of doing business. And, they'll be the most likely culprit of dog bites.

Finally, if you have a fear of something - LEARN. I feel immensely sorry for the people who have been bitten by dogs - any dogs. I am so sorry for the woman that blogged about sleepless nights, surgeries and terror, all due to a dog bite from a pit bull mix. BUT THEY ARE DOG BITES. I was bit by my own dog, a Labrador. I don't think the Labrador breed should be removed from the city, the state, the face of the earth. Otherwise, it's time to get rid of ALL DOGS. Every one.

A pit bull has what we call "jaws of steel" and when he clamps down on something, Ezmond won't let go, no matter what. God forbid I leave a sock within reach. It's not his fault he was bred to be the Superman of dogs. And his kryptonite? Misinformation.