Really, Time Magazine? The Problem With Pit Bulls?

Time Magazine, on June 20, ran the article "The Problem With Pit Bulls". I only just read it, and haven't really heard it discussed in my usual online watering holes. Go read it; I didn't watch the video or anything, so can't vouch for that, but otherwise it doesn't have any terrible pictures or language or anything.

It's hard to read things like that, because they aren't wrong. This is Time Magazine here; they're able to present a compelling argument and back it up with sources. It's what they're for.  But they aren't right, either, and I feel leaning on PETA for citation weakens their case. "Even PETA, the largest animal-rights organization in the world, supports breed-specific sterilization for pit bulls" says Time magazine. Well, PETA thinks it would be best if this convention of keeping pets never existed. We all probably know by now about PETA's high euthanization rate of animals surrendered into their care (that one's from Time, here's one from The Washington Post).

A small rant.....

On our walk, Elka and I saw a person standing in the middle of the sidewalk up the block from us, talking to another person. There was a chihuahua on a retractable leash, that squared off and stared as we approached. Person 2 went back to their house (and I noticed they were holding a small dog as well). Person 1 (with chihuahua on retractable leash) turned and saw us. Her dog exploded in lunging, snarling, and barking, staring at Elka, eyes hard, ears forward. Elka looked at the dog, and looked at me. I gave her a treat. Person 1 crossed the street with her dog, still lunging and snarling, for which I am grateful. However, she did not lock the retractable leash, so she ended up on the sidewalk across the street from us, with her dog barking and snarling in the middle of the street. Elka looked at the dog, and looked at me. I gave her a treat. The woman didn't call her dog to her, but said in kind of a breezy voice "oh, now, come on, don't do that." Elka looked at the dog, and looked at me. I gave her a treat.

If our roles had been reversed, I don't doubt that the woman would have been quite upset with me. If my Doberman acted like that, barking and snarling and lunging, people would call the police. People would yell at me, and feel justified in their suspicion or hatred of Dobermans. I don't hate chihuahuas; I just hate that we encounter so many small dogs who don't appear trained in any way, and whose owners, purposefully or no, encourage these horrible behaviors.

Size should  not matter in dog behavior. Dogs should be polite, and trained, and managed. Dog owners should be conscientious. I don't care how big your dog is; if you're on the sidewalk or at the park, and your dog poops, pick it up and put it in the garbage. Don't bag it and throw the bag into the woods. Don't just leave it there. Take responsibility. These kind of behaviors make it so hard for dog owners to get allowances in towns. There are no off leash areas in my town, and few businesses that allow dogs.

"That's a big scary dog"

At the park, a guy was talking on his cell phone on one of the benches. Elka was staring at him, for whatever reason.  Maybe she thought he had food. Maybe she wondered who he was talking to. I'm not really sure; she stares at us when we're on the phone as well, or on a headset with somebody, and if it's somebody she knows, she seems confused that she can't find them.

But, said Cellphone Talker looked up at Elka and grew visibly uncomfortable. I just smiled, and he said "Wow. That's a big scary dog. What kind of dog is that?"

"She's a Doberman."

"Really big."

"Yes, she is."

When I have a conversation like that with a person, I am amused, I'm not going to lie. But really, I have to wonder about that person's prior dog experience. Had they been knocked over by big dogs as a child and avoided dogs since? Had they been attacked? Had they only interacted with ill trained dogs and owners who thought it was funny?  Nothing insulting was said, so it's not like I could really be indignant. I just wonder.

On Our Sunday Walk...

Today on our walk, we saw:

An Airdale Terrier on a Flexi lead.
A Rat Terrier on a Flexi lead.
A Put Bull Terrier (I think) on a Flexi lead.

I don't have pictures, because I don't want to be a weirdo who randomly takes pictures of people on the street, but do they have the corner on the market, or what?

Negligent to Own

I'm sure by now, Gentle Readers, it has come to your attention that a Court of Appeals in Maryland has ruled pit bulls "inherently dangerous" and also "negligent to own".

Calm your outrage for a moment. Lord knows it's hard.

It is important to know the details. I don't support them in any way, but it could be worse. Maryland has not outlawed the ownership of pit bulls. State law enforcement will not be knocking on doors with a measuring tape and removing peoples's dogs, as happens in a certain country in the UK.

Vicktory Dogs: 5 years later

April 25 was the five  year anniversary for the rescue of 51 dogs from Bad Rap kennels, the property in Virginia owned by Michael Vick. Considering the man in question is already back playing football, I'd guess a lot of people find his debt to society paid.

About a year ago, on April 24, I reviewed Jim Gorant's book The Lost Dogs. Frankly, the case still makes me feel ill. That Vick has another multimillion dollar contract makes me ill. That he doesn't seem to be sorry for what he does, but rather sorry that he got caught...well, enough about him.

Because so many of those dogs have been successful. They're therapy dogs. They have their Canine Good Citizen titles. They're in happy homes, with families who love them. Apparently they're referred to by some as Vicktory Dogs, and I like it. It shows what can be accomplished with care and consideration.

As I've said before,  I can't in good conscience speak out against breed prejudices that target the Doberman without giving pit bull prejudice the time of day. Dogs are dogs. These dogs are pit bulls, these dogs were bred for fighting, these dogs were raised in horrible isolated conditions where the people they  interacted with were not kind. Today, these dogs are successful in home settings. These dogs interact with other dogs. Dogs are individuals. These dogs were individually given a chance, and I'm very glad, because it sets the precedent.

You can read more about them on http://vickdogsblog.blogspot.com/ and also on the Bad Rap web page, here: http://www.badrap.org/vick-dogs

Statistics roundup Sunday

I'm not going to lie, I love looking at my statistics.

Where people click the link that brings them here, what search terms people use, how long they stay, where they are, etc. It's all really neat and interesting to me. Sometimes it even gives me post ideas! After all, it's good to give people what they want!

Most recently, "Mean Doberman" has brought them to this post: Mean Doberman and also How to Make a Doberman Mean. I cannot comment on whether I feel these readers have learned from these posts in the way I hoped they would; granted, I also cannot comment on their intentions.

"Angry Doberman" brings one to Breed Prejudices: They Always Surprise Me and also Subversive Sunday: Doberman Breed Acceptance. "Doberman Love" also brings one to Subversive Sunday.

Lately, "Canine members of the armed forces act" has brought people to Support S.2134 Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act. And others have been searching "Kevin Reese and Grek", which brings them to Military Working Dogs, as the picture of the Lab and his handler are apparently Kevin Reese and Grek, from 2007. One wonders if Grek was retired and adopted by Reese, as recently Cpl. Megan Leavey was able to do with Sgt. Rex, or if there were other circumstances. With the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act going up, Military Working Dogs seem to be getting a lot of attention. Which is good.

To close on a lighter note, "no bake dog treats" brings visitors to Tasty Tuesday: No Bake Peanut Butter Dog Treats.

Subversive Sunday: Doberman Breed Acceptance

Created by a member of Doberman Talk, with pictures "donated" from other members. If cross posted, do so only as a whole.

Breed prejudice isn't true, isn't fair, and doesn't get anybody anywhere. Dobermans are our pets. They're in our homes, they love our children (for things other than dinner). They are fun dogs, they are serious dogs, they are service dogs. 

A Doberman is my dog.

McDonald's Crosses a Line

So, yesterday, through other online doggie channels, a new McDonald's ad came to my attention.

The pictures I've seen (and as far as I know, the ad is an audio one, so I"m not sure of the origin of the picture, for those copyright hounds) are of a 6 piece chicken nuggets, and a down the nose shot of a bandanna wearing pit bull, with the headline "Which is safer? Eating this/petting this?" And excuse me, as I've been rather family friendly until now, but my thought was, "Oh hell no".

Breed prejudices: they always surprise me

I was at the Dollar Tree the other day.  I frequently go there for rope toys for Elka; they have a variety of lengths and knots and what have you, and as I've mentioned, she loves playing Tug.  She'll also chew up a rope, if I just let her have it and am not vigilant, so it's best if they're cheap, really.  Many of the Dollar Tree ones appear to be undyed cotton, which is a bonus.

As I was leaving Dollar Tree, I glanced at the quarter machines that they have at the front.  Typically ,it's one machine full of varying fake tattoos and then the rest are plastic junk.  I've always had a love for these machines, and as a grownup, I don't need to beg quarters off of anybody should I want to indulge.  There are worse things, really.

But, this time, the fake tattoo ones included an interesting selection: Dawgz  4 Life (picture from the distributer's site, http://www.ssmvending.com/index.html, not owned by me in any way)