Hello all, i would just like to take a moment to tell you all a little bit about a struggle that's going on in the world that you might not be fully aware of.
On the 19th of may, Lennox, a beautiful family dog and an American Bulldog x Labrador was seized from his family without reason. He was kept for two years and then destroyed on the 11th of July 2012. Thousands of people, even celebrities fought for Lennox's life and were ignored.
After Lennox's death the world mourned and we came together to protest not only in his memory but for all dogs seized simply because of the way they look. The appearance of these dogs is being used as the entire basis of how dangerous they are.
We met in London, and Anthony Head (Giles from Buffy or Uther Pendragon in Merlin etc) joined us with his wife, having battled for Lennox personally. I met some wonderful people and today the world is protesting, Australia, America, the UK. I wish them all the best of luck. And here are some images of these wonderful people and some explanation.
We battled through the rain on the first occasion.
And tears were shed.
This is our human mascot, The fairy dog mother. He turns up to every protest dressed as a fairy and he's one of the most inspiring people i've ever met.
The next protest fell on the Olympics, took an hour to cross the sodding road. But we did end up having a drink with an Italian Olympic champion after the protest, which was interesting!
But we got there in the end.
Even the dogs turned up to show their support! ...
These two are the canine crusaders (with me in the white shirt), Cobalt and Sapphire. These two were seized under the dangerous dogs act but were eventually given back to their owners as 'exempted dogs'. This means they have to be on a lead at all times outside of the house, wear a muzzle everywhere outside of the house and they both have identification tattoos clumsily etched into the inside of their legs. They were lucky to be allowed to live, many dogs are seized and never see their owners or the light of day again.
This video shows the ignorance and the severity of what is going on a little bit. After Lennox's death The One Show jumped on the band wagon and did this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHwe4gt8LV8
Best of luck to all those protesting today. I'm sure Dog will comment on this thread and fill in some details, if it were not for him i would not have been as aware of what was going on, and i would not have gone to that first protest. So thank you, Dog.";
On the 19th of may, Lennox, a beautiful family dog and an American Bulldog x Labrador was seized from his family without reason. He was kept for two years and then destroyed on the 11th of July 2012. Thousands of people, even celebrities fought for Lennox's life and were ignored.
After Lennox's death the world mourned and we came together to protest not only in his memory but for all dogs seized simply because of the way they look. The appearance of these dogs is being used as the entire basis of how dangerous they are.
We met in London, and Anthony Head (Giles from Buffy or Uther Pendragon in Merlin etc) joined us with his wife, having battled for Lennox personally. I met some wonderful people and today the world is protesting, Australia, America, the UK. I wish them all the best of luck. And here are some images of these wonderful people and some explanation.
We battled through the rain on the first occasion.
And tears were shed.
This is our human mascot, The fairy dog mother. He turns up to every protest dressed as a fairy and he's one of the most inspiring people i've ever met.
The next protest fell on the Olympics, took an hour to cross the sodding road. But we did end up having a drink with an Italian Olympic champion after the protest, which was interesting!
But we got there in the end.
Even the dogs turned up to show their support! ...
These two are the canine crusaders (with me in the white shirt), Cobalt and Sapphire. These two were seized under the dangerous dogs act but were eventually given back to their owners as 'exempted dogs'. This means they have to be on a lead at all times outside of the house, wear a muzzle everywhere outside of the house and they both have identification tattoos clumsily etched into the inside of their legs. They were lucky to be allowed to live, many dogs are seized and never see their owners or the light of day again.
This video shows the ignorance and the severity of what is going on a little bit. After Lennox's death The One Show jumped on the band wagon and did this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHwe4gt8LV8
Best of luck to all those protesting today. I'm sure Dog will comment on this thread and fill in some details, if it were not for him i would not have been as aware of what was going on, and i would not have gone to that first protest. So thank you, Dog.";
Well that's sad 3:
Those poor dogs did nothing wrong and they could be the sweetest things ever and they still get killed? This breaks my heart.
I hope you guys can actually do something and end the dog discrimination!
Those poor dogs did nothing wrong and they could be the sweetest things ever and they still get killed? This breaks my heart.
I hope you guys can actually do something and end the dog discrimination!
Dogs are only as dangerous as their owners make them. Just because a Chihuahua doesn't have the physical strength to lethally injure you, doesn't mean it can't be kicked and beaten into being the most aggressive dog you've ever seen.
If a dog is aggressive towards you, 99 out of a 100 times it's because the dog's owners didn't raise it right. Either due to raising it wrong with the best intentions (i.e. not understanding a dog's basic needs or breed specific needs without being malicious) or purposely making the dog that way through violence and provocation.
Of course an American Stafford isn't going to be a suitable dog for a disabled or old person. They're powerful animals who have it in their genes to be broad, strong and have limitless energy, so it would make a bad choice for people who can't match their dog in physical strength. But my sister has one, and he's the doofiest and nicest dog I've ever seen besides our other family dog. He's only a year old and has a LOT of energy, and he has to be put into his place often, but once he's out of puberty and found his place in the pack he's going to be a friendly, cuddly and amazing doggy.
Little children as young as 3-4 years old play with him a lot, and he's very careful with them and contains himself to avoid hurting them. Then there's a Maltese which my neighbors own, who bites children constantly to the point of bleeding, and nobody bats an eyelash at that because it's a small and 'harmless' dog.
People often tell me that the dog is dangerous when I walk him without even asking about him or getting to know him, just because he's a pit bull. Yes, there are many pit bulls who are dangerous, but there are also many Labradors who are just as dangerous!
People are the reason dogs get a bad name. They need to learn how to raise dogs, to stop projecting human emotions on animals, to stop getting animals they're unfit to deal with. They need to stop taking the extreme examples where people screw up dogs purposely and then brand every other dog like it.
It requires a big change of mindset in many people, but you have my support!!
If a dog is aggressive towards you, 99 out of a 100 times it's because the dog's owners didn't raise it right. Either due to raising it wrong with the best intentions (i.e. not understanding a dog's basic needs or breed specific needs without being malicious) or purposely making the dog that way through violence and provocation.
Of course an American Stafford isn't going to be a suitable dog for a disabled or old person. They're powerful animals who have it in their genes to be broad, strong and have limitless energy, so it would make a bad choice for people who can't match their dog in physical strength. But my sister has one, and he's the doofiest and nicest dog I've ever seen besides our other family dog. He's only a year old and has a LOT of energy, and he has to be put into his place often, but once he's out of puberty and found his place in the pack he's going to be a friendly, cuddly and amazing doggy.
Little children as young as 3-4 years old play with him a lot, and he's very careful with them and contains himself to avoid hurting them. Then there's a Maltese which my neighbors own, who bites children constantly to the point of bleeding, and nobody bats an eyelash at that because it's a small and 'harmless' dog.
People often tell me that the dog is dangerous when I walk him without even asking about him or getting to know him, just because he's a pit bull. Yes, there are many pit bulls who are dangerous, but there are also many Labradors who are just as dangerous!
People are the reason dogs get a bad name. They need to learn how to raise dogs, to stop projecting human emotions on animals, to stop getting animals they're unfit to deal with. They need to stop taking the extreme examples where people screw up dogs purposely and then brand every other dog like it.
It requires a big change of mindset in many people, but you have my support!!
People are so freakin' sick. I've never, ever met a terrible pit bull. I've met two, three new pitbulls in the same day and you know what happened? The big babies crawled up on my lap and fell asleep. I'm tiny so they were pretty heavy and hurt a bit because of their weight, but it was the most endearing thing ever.
Alternatively, most tiny dogs I meet are incredibly aggressive! That's not their fault at all, though. They're usually so spoiled because they're seen as frail that they fail to realize when something's not going to harm them. When I was a baby I got attacked by a chihuahua when I was just sitting there. But now it seems like I can approach any dog (or dogs can approach me) and have a wonderful, loving time with them, most of them being large and powerful dogs.
It's just so sick to think people kill other creatures because of assumptions. I actually saw a dog with a muzzle on the other day and it made me sorta sad. As I drew near, it didn't make any growl or any sort of skittish behavior. It seemed so harmless! Yet there it was, muzzled, calm as could be.
I admire you for taking a stand for these wonderful creatures, and I'm so happy there are so many people who share the same views on it. You guys are so amazing.
.
Alternatively, most tiny dogs I meet are incredibly aggressive! That's not their fault at all, though. They're usually so spoiled because they're seen as frail that they fail to realize when something's not going to harm them. When I was a baby I got attacked by a chihuahua when I was just sitting there. But now it seems like I can approach any dog (or dogs can approach me) and have a wonderful, loving time with them, most of them being large and powerful dogs.
It's just so sick to think people kill other creatures because of assumptions. I actually saw a dog with a muzzle on the other day and it made me sorta sad. As I drew near, it didn't make any growl or any sort of skittish behavior. It seemed so harmless! Yet there it was, muzzled, calm as could be.
I admire you for taking a stand for these wonderful creatures, and I'm so happy there are so many people who share the same views on it. You guys are so amazing.
.
It's certainly true. And while dogs try to understand us to some degree, they have their own language. People NEED to learn that language before they even consider approaching a dog, let alone owning one.
Also animals are not unable to make mistakes and a genuine mistake should not follow with a death penalty. And a bite is rarely an 'attack'. A dog bite, a singular bite is usually a final "I told you to stop, and you didn't, so now you're being told off" sort of deal. But many people explain such bites as that as a mauling or being gored or god knows what other terms they can find.
^ I made that a while back, so you know i totally agree with what you're saying.
I have grown to love bull breeds through this ordeal, you'll have to share a picture of your feller with me some time if you have one
Also animals are not unable to make mistakes and a genuine mistake should not follow with a death penalty. And a bite is rarely an 'attack'. A dog bite, a singular bite is usually a final "I told you to stop, and you didn't, so now you're being told off" sort of deal. But many people explain such bites as that as a mauling or being gored or god knows what other terms they can find.
^ I made that a while back, so you know i totally agree with what you're saying.
I have grown to love bull breeds through this ordeal, you'll have to share a picture of your feller with me some time if you have one
I will say I'm a little skittish around pit bulls (I almost got attacked by one when I was younger, thank goodness my mom and my dog toostie was there [ENTIRELY THE OWNER'S FAULT THEY'RE DOG ABUSERS >.<]) but I've seen other pit bulls at adoption drives that just look like they want to glomp you and love you forever. I totally agree that it's the owners who make the dog aggressive, not the dog itself.
I don't have a pit bull, they were my ex's family friends' dogs . Mine looks to be a border collie/lab mix or something.
She's a medium sized dog and super clumsy but she jumps up on you. I love that though, she'll wrap her arms around your neck and give your face SO many kisses. She's only nipped me once and it was so gentle and during our playing. She immediately stopped playing and went into pout-mode where she slumped there and gave my hand a kiss. I swear she's a human in there..
But yeah you're totally right. Dogs can't speak to us. Their way of doing things is different than ours, even if it's not a whole lot different. They don't WANT to hurt anybody (unless they were raised that way). It's not like they sit around waiting for someone to get near so they can attack them. If you're harassing a dog or making it feel threatened, it's going to make some sort of retort.
. Mine looks to be a border collie/lab mix or something.She's a medium sized dog and super clumsy but she jumps up on you. I love that though, she'll wrap her arms around your neck and give your face SO many kisses. She's only nipped me once and it was so gentle and during our playing. She immediately stopped playing and went into pout-mode where she slumped there and gave my hand a kiss. I swear she's a human in there.
.But yeah you're totally right. Dogs can't speak to us. Their way of doing things is different than ours, even if it's not a whole lot different. They don't WANT to hurt anybody (unless they were raised that way). It's not like they sit around waiting for someone to get near so they can attack them. If you're harassing a dog or making it feel threatened, it's going to make some sort of retort.
Daww, cute doggie!
That's exactly how my Australian shepherd/lab mix tootsie is. She thinks she's a lap dog and she'll try to crawl around your neck and just stay there xD she likes to sit on my feet for some reason
That's exactly how my Australian shepherd/lab mix tootsie is. She thinks she's a lap dog and she'll try to crawl around your neck and just stay there xD she likes to sit on my feet for some reason
Thank you! 
. I love it when larger dogs act like they're smaller! . It's the cutest thing. She'll come up and sorta lean her entire body against your legs and look up at you, too. It's sweet.
She'll sleep with us sometimes. I've used her as a pillow before, even though I think the oils in her fur react to my skin badly
. (Fur makes me break out a lil bit.)
. I love it when larger dogs act like they're smaller! . It's the cutest thing. She'll come up and sorta lean her entire body against your legs and look up at you, too. It's sweet.She'll sleep with us sometimes. I've used her as a pillow before, even though I think the oils in her fur react to my skin badly
. (Fur makes me break out a lil bit.)
Aaawww so beautiful.
^ This is me (before i got my hair cut off) and a dog i have a very good relationship with. I see her very often and she turns to me for affection as if i am family and i really do love her to bits. She's a rescue and she isn't very nice to other dogs, but has no human aggression in her bones at all.
At the moment i volunteer at an animal shelter too so i get to at least have some time with the beautiful dogs in the shelter too. The one i walked most recently is a big mastiff x American bulldog and he has the saddest eyes, such a sweetheart.
When it comes down to it a dog is a dog. Like us, their life experiences shape them. In fact i recently saw a program on personality and how it develops. They did a test with rats to see how the brain activity changed with babies that were licked more by their mothers, and babies that were not licked very much. The high-licked rats turned into very good parents and were very intelligent, the low licked rats were essentially not very good parents. It just goes to show, everything shapes us. Even two twin humans, brought up with all the same life experiences, same friends, same everything, one developed clinical depression and one did not. Everything has an impact and DEFRA and other organizations only see that the problem is the animal in question. It needs to stop!
^ This is me (before i got my hair cut off) and a dog i have a very good relationship with. I see her very often and she turns to me for affection as if i am family and i really do love her to bits. She's a rescue and she isn't very nice to other dogs, but has no human aggression in her bones at all.
At the moment i volunteer at an animal shelter too so i get to at least have some time with the beautiful dogs in the shelter too. The one i walked most recently is a big mastiff x American bulldog and he has the saddest eyes, such a sweetheart.
When it comes down to it a dog is a dog. Like us, their life experiences shape them. In fact i recently saw a program on personality and how it develops. They did a test with rats to see how the brain activity changed with babies that were licked more by their mothers, and babies that were not licked very much. The high-licked rats turned into very good parents and were very intelligent, the low licked rats were essentially not very good parents. It just goes to show, everything shapes us. Even two twin humans, brought up with all the same life experiences, same friends, same everything, one developed clinical depression and one did not. Everything has an impact and DEFRA and other organizations only see that the problem is the animal in question. It needs to stop!
Oh my goodness she's so pretty . My puppy has a problem with not defending herself against other animals that attack her. She's a magnet for that sorta thing but she'll literally roll over on her back and let them hurt her. 
. It's pitiful.
But yeah, it really does need to stop. It's so frustrating and downright unfair. You can say one word about how a dog bit you and they'll run with it and kill the dog. But if you go to authorities with claims of being abused in a way that lacks evidence (sexual without penetration, or emotional abuse), they don't do anything about it. (First had experience - I was so livid.) And because of that, there are still those handful of awful people I met that're still out there, likely doing what they do.
But you say the words "dog" and "hurt me" in the same sentence and there's one less beautiful creature in the world.
. My puppy has a problem with not defending herself against other animals that attack her. She's a magnet for that sorta thing but she'll literally roll over on her back and let them hurt her. . It's pitiful.But yeah, it really does need to stop. It's so frustrating and downright unfair. You can say one word about how a dog bit you and they'll run with it and kill the dog. But if you go to authorities with claims of being abused in a way that lacks evidence (sexual without penetration, or emotional abuse), they don't do anything about it. (First had experience - I was so livid.) And because of that, there are still those handful of awful people I met that're still out there, likely doing what they do.
But you say the words "dog" and "hurt me" in the same sentence and there's one less beautiful creature in the world.
I won't spam you with more, but this dog has the dumbest expression I've ever seen when he's not being alert.
He looks perpetually unimpressed and high. You can do eeeeeverything with this dog though, and besides jumping up and being REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY excited to see you, he's as harmless as a fly.
I'ma steal that dog. STEAL HIM I SAY.
He's so gorgeous I just wanna hug him sdflkjdsf. He looks so sleepy all the time haha!. It's adorable.
He's so gorgeous I just wanna hug him sdflkjdsf. He looks so sleepy all the time haha!
. It's adorable.
Oh my god i am in love with hiiiim. When can i take him home. Hahaha. He's so critical looking haha.
Ugh BSL makes me so mad, it's so stupid. Thankfully they don't have anything like that in my home state, but I've read stuff about people having their dogs taken just because they look like the -might- have pitbull in them, even if they don't have any bully breed in them at all. A lot of hound dogs have that big square head shape, and that seems to be what a lot of people judge the dogs by.
I totally agree that it's the owner that makes the dog into what it is, not the other way around. My dog is huge and has a squarish head, but she's the most loveable thing, she's never bitten anybody or gotten into a fight with another dog.
This is her sporting her favorite hat
Also Sanne, that dog has the funniest expression! I love it
I totally agree that it's the owner that makes the dog into what it is, not the other way around. My dog is huge and has a squarish head, but she's the most loveable thing, she's never bitten anybody or gotten into a fight with another dog.
This is her sporting her favorite hat
Also Sanne, that dog has the funniest expression! I love it
Dogs + hates = the best.
I was able to upload another pic of my puppy, too. WHICH IS FRIGGIN' RARE.
She'll lay her head on your shoulder and sit on her butt next to you on the couch. Here is a demonstration of such lol. (Hair was still wet from shower sorry lol.)
She'll put her lil puppymouth near yours and deny you kisses if you ask for them. She just rolls her head around and avoids your mouth until finally you get her so excited from your fit-throwing that she gives you only one.
And then she won't stop with the kisses haha.
I was able to upload another pic of my puppy, too. WHICH IS FRIGGIN' RARE.
She'll lay her head on your shoulder and sit on her butt next to you on the couch. Here is a demonstration of such lol. (Hair was still wet from shower sorry lol.)
She'll put her lil puppymouth near yours and deny you kisses if you ask for them. She just rolls her head around and avoids your mouth until finally you get her so excited from your fit-throwing that she gives you only one.
And then she won't stop with the kisses haha.
Hahah she sounds adorable Mad! Also slightly off topic but I love your hair cut
I put hats on my dog all the time, she makes me laugh. I couldn't imagine anybody ever taking her away just because she looks like she might be violent. It makes me so sad for all the people who's beloved pets have been taken away for no reason
I put hats on my dog all the time, she makes me laugh. I couldn't imagine anybody ever taking her away just because she looks like she might be violent. It makes me so sad for all the people who's beloved pets have been taken away for no reason
Did somebody say Breed Specific Legislation?
When Lennox's story was first reported , I followed it for several years, hoping that this dog would be the one to help turn the tide against the wave of prejudice and backlash that bull breeds suffer from. Europe, most notably Britain, has heavy legislation against pit bulls and other bull breeds. The UK's dangerous dogs act is one of the most strict pieces of law regarding bull breeds, and results in dogs being confiscated and killed for how they look, regardless of what their temperament is.
That said, I was quite impressed when I saw that there were folks in the UK who were going to try and do something about it, despite 20 years of their government telling them that these dogs were too dangerous to live.
BSL protestors, you rock.
(And you are very welcome, Degu, but I should be the one thanking you for going. So - on behalf of bull breeds everywhere, thank you Degu )
@Sanne: Right on most points. Dogs are a product of their surroundings. Too many people pin the blame on the dog, when in reality it is the human that's responsible.
I'll offer a slight correction in the label you're giving your sister's dog, as my inner "dog purist" commands me to do so. The dog your sister owns is an American Bully, which is a "selective hybrid" of the American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier. Most commonly "blue", they're typically bred for size and form, as opposed to function. They well outweigh the average APBT (30-60lbs) or AST (50-70lb). They are often , erroneously, called "pit bulls", but they've been bred long enough to be their own 'breed'.
Unfortunately, a lot of backyard breeders sell them as APBT's due to the stigma of the name, but they are far outside the standard of what a true APBT should look like. Even more unfortunate is that the general public seems to think that pit bulls are supposed to be these massive headed, thick bodied, 80lb dogs, when in reality they aren't.
ADBA CH APBT's
- Knowles CH Buckhide
- CH Narnia
- Ch Angus
Caragan Kennels , who produce exceptionally beautiful APBT's
American Bully on DogBreedInfo- http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/a/americanbully.htm
The American Bully Kennel Club - http://theabkcdogs.org/
AKC CH Am. Staff - Axl
Am. Staffs and APBT's have a rather convoluted history, with both breeds having branched off of the original bull-and-terrier, which was imported to America from the UK in the 1800's. When the AKC was founded, they refused to admit the current APBT, citing its history in bull baiting and dog fighting, and instead created a closed registry for a "new breed", the American Staffordshire Terrier. The UKC and ADBA were created around the same time to accept the APBT and other working breeds that the AKC refused to admit, such as the Coonhound family of dog breeds (which the AKC recently allowed into its ranks.)
While the UKC has in recent times altered its standard so that its version of the APBT resembles the AKC's AST, the ADBA's standard for pit bulls is true to the original appearance of the breed.
...but I digress! (Can you tell this piques my interest? No?)
@MadRatBird - One has to be careful generalizing other types of dogs, as it is as damaging as what has been done to pit bulls. Chihuahuas suffer from nearly as bad a reputation as pit bulls, with scores being euthanized in shelters because people assume they are "yappy" and "nasty".
Muzzles are not necessarily indicative of an aggressive dog. Dogs that have a tendency to ingest foreign objects may need to wear a muzzle to prevent them from eating something they shouldn't. Or they may be dog reactive, and the muzzle allows them to be walked without the threat of them attempting to engage another dog in a scuffle. Or the local law may require dogs of a certain breed to be muzzled.
(There's that dumb BSL again.)
@ Loki: Unfortunately, what you've read is true. A lot of BSL requires dogs to be identified by sight, and as there are a large amount of dog breeds with similar characteristics to bull types (square head, short coat, muscular), many non-bull breeds end up confiscated and killed as well. It's an utterly ridiculous, and ignorant, piece of legislation that is akin to slapping a band-aid on a compound fracture.
Removing a certain breed does not help the ignorance and poor judgement that result in a dog biting a person. Folks who have no business owning a dog in the first place will merely gravitate to the next "bad" breed that hits the media. Complete nonsense, and the dogs are the ones that suffer from it.
Also a beef, is "pit bull" being used as a catch-all term for anything that's muscled, short-coated, and blocky headed. The original catch-all term for bull breeds was "bulldog", but nowadays most people associate the term with the English Bulldog.
When Lennox's story was first reported , I followed it for several years, hoping that this dog would be the one to help turn the tide against the wave of prejudice and backlash that bull breeds suffer from. Europe, most notably Britain, has heavy legislation against pit bulls and other bull breeds. The UK's dangerous dogs act is one of the most strict pieces of law regarding bull breeds, and results in dogs being confiscated and killed for how they look, regardless of what their temperament is.
That said, I was quite impressed when I saw that there were folks in the UK who were going to try and do something about it, despite 20 years of their government telling them that these dogs were too dangerous to live.
BSL protestors, you rock.
(And you are very welcome, Degu, but I should be the one thanking you for going. So - on behalf of bull breeds everywhere, thank you Degu
)@Sanne: Right on most points. Dogs are a product of their surroundings. Too many people pin the blame on the dog, when in reality it is the human that's responsible.
I'll offer a slight correction in the label you're giving your sister's dog, as my inner "dog purist" commands me to do so. The dog your sister owns is an American Bully, which is a "selective hybrid" of the American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier. Most commonly "blue", they're typically bred for size and form, as opposed to function. They well outweigh the average APBT (30-60lbs) or AST (50-70lb). They are often , erroneously, called "pit bulls", but they've been bred long enough to be their own 'breed'.
Unfortunately, a lot of backyard breeders sell them as APBT's due to the stigma of the name, but they are far outside the standard of what a true APBT should look like. Even more unfortunate is that the general public seems to think that pit bulls are supposed to be these massive headed, thick bodied, 80lb dogs, when in reality they aren't.
ADBA CH APBT's
- Knowles CH Buckhide
- CH Narnia
- Ch Angus
Caragan Kennels , who produce exceptionally beautiful APBT's
American Bully on DogBreedInfo- http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/a/americanbully.htm
The American Bully Kennel Club - http://theabkcdogs.org/
AKC CH Am. Staff - Axl
Am. Staffs and APBT's have a rather convoluted history, with both breeds having branched off of the original bull-and-terrier, which was imported to America from the UK in the 1800's. When the AKC was founded, they refused to admit the current APBT, citing its history in bull baiting and dog fighting, and instead created a closed registry for a "new breed", the American Staffordshire Terrier. The UKC and ADBA were created around the same time to accept the APBT and other working breeds that the AKC refused to admit, such as the Coonhound family of dog breeds (which the AKC recently allowed into its ranks.)
While the UKC has in recent times altered its standard so that its version of the APBT resembles the AKC's AST, the ADBA's standard for pit bulls is true to the original appearance of the breed.
...but I digress! (Can you tell this piques my interest? No?)
@MadRatBird - One has to be careful generalizing other types of dogs, as it is as damaging as what has been done to pit bulls. Chihuahuas suffer from nearly as bad a reputation as pit bulls, with scores being euthanized in shelters because people assume they are "yappy" and "nasty".
Muzzles are not necessarily indicative of an aggressive dog. Dogs that have a tendency to ingest foreign objects may need to wear a muzzle to prevent them from eating something they shouldn't. Or they may be dog reactive, and the muzzle allows them to be walked without the threat of them attempting to engage another dog in a scuffle. Or the local law may require dogs of a certain breed to be muzzled.
(There's that dumb BSL again.)
@ Loki: Unfortunately, what you've read is true. A lot of BSL requires dogs to be identified by sight, and as there are a large amount of dog breeds with similar characteristics to bull types (square head, short coat, muscular), many non-bull breeds end up confiscated and killed as well. It's an utterly ridiculous, and ignorant, piece of legislation that is akin to slapping a band-aid on a compound fracture.
Removing a certain breed does not help the ignorance and poor judgement that result in a dog biting a person. Folks who have no business owning a dog in the first place will merely gravitate to the next "bad" breed that hits the media. Complete nonsense, and the dogs are the ones that suffer from it.
Also a beef, is "pit bull" being used as a catch-all term for anything that's muscled, short-coated, and blocky headed. The original catch-all term for bull breeds was "bulldog", but nowadays most people associate the term with the English Bulldog.
Well wouldn't you know, just found this, re: the American Bully -
http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/News/UnitedKennelClubAnnouncest07152013022218PM
And, 'cause this is pretty awesome, a group of pit bulls hanging with the border collies in the sport of Flyball:
http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/News/UnitedKennelClubAnnouncest07152013022218PM
And, 'cause this is pretty awesome, a group of pit bulls hanging with the border collies in the sport of Flyball:
I agree with a lot of what everyone is saying about the "pitbull" breed. It's a shame that there is bsl. It just saddens me that people in this world could take a wonderful, loving, sweet dog and turn them into monsters. I was lucky, for a short time, to be owned by a beautiful 4 yr old female pitbul mix named Terri. You see, I was homeless on the streets of San Diego and my bf thought it would be good for me to have a dog for protection. Through a friend of mine I got the most amazing, loving, sweet-hearted, goofy, and protective dog ever. When your left alone while the bf goes to panhandle it makes sense that you had a dog to protect you. I once took her to a small beach and she just went crazy. I honestly don't ever think I've seen a dog "snorkel" before lol. Once I figure out how to put a pic in the forum I'll try to have a pic up of my dog, Terri.
But seriously, the bad stuff aside, the bully breeds are wonderful and loving. Their truly amazing in my opinion. I'm just going to use pitbull for the sake of my typing skills but the breed was once originaly considered the nanny dog because, back in the day, you could leave your children with them. And also, through online research (I can't remember the website where I found this info though), the original "pitbull" was a farm dog used on farms and when the farmers didn't have crops to take care of over the winter they fought their dogs to supplement their income. Now remember, the dogs that are now out there that are used for fighting are dog aggressive because of bad breeding AND because the so called owner (to use the term loosely) treated them badly (Micheal Vicks for example). The original "pitbull" was fought and each dog's owner HAD to be able to place his hands on the coat of the opponent's to check for foreign substances, to make sure there was no cheatingof any kind, so to say an dividual dog is "people aggresive" is false in that case of the original "pitbull" In my humble opinion the "pitbulls" of old were dog aggressive but not people aggressive.
Please anyone is welcomed to correct me as I want to learn.
Thank you for your time,
OtterPaw
But seriously, the bad stuff aside, the bully breeds are wonderful and loving. Their truly amazing in my opinion. I'm just going to use pitbull for the sake of my typing skills but the breed was once originaly considered the nanny dog because, back in the day, you could leave your children with them. And also, through online research (I can't remember the website where I found this info though), the original "pitbull" was a farm dog used on farms and when the farmers didn't have crops to take care of over the winter they fought their dogs to supplement their income. Now remember, the dogs that are now out there that are used for fighting are dog aggressive because of bad breeding AND because the so called owner (to use the term loosely) treated them badly (Micheal Vicks for example). The original "pitbull" was fought and each dog's owner HAD to be able to place his hands on the coat of the opponent's to check for foreign substances, to make sure there was no cheatingof any kind, so to say an dividual dog is "people aggresive" is false in that case of the original "pitbull" In my humble opinion the "pitbulls" of old were dog aggressive but not people aggressive.
Please anyone is welcomed to correct me as I want to learn.
Thank you for your time,
OtterPaw
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