Breed Specific Legislation

[wandaful]

[MtnEagle]

Originally posted by wandaful:
Children are not safer with breed bans, they are only safer with responsible dog owners.

Amen to that! http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wink3.gif

[jakobscalpel]

I don't want specific breeds to be banned, but local governments should be able to pass whatever laws the people ask for. So yes, California should change it's laws to allow local breed bans.

[Kahlua Kid]

IMHO -

Agree -not the dogs, its the owners...

Even in the opinion of others for "non-safe" breeds, if the owner was to keep them reponsibly in their yards, etc... then this wouldn't be an issue.

[Yosemite_Wolf]

Touche' KK. Its not the dog, but the dog owner. Now, if everyone would just spoil their dogs rotton, love em, and also make em behave..... we woudnt have a problem! But there has to be D*ckheads out there who insist on being cruel and training dogs to be mean.

[Lotek]

Ban the deed, NOT the breed.

Better yet, ban the sub-humans who create & promote the unstable, aggressive dogs. Among others, I'm referring to the scumbags who use bait-dogs in order to "train" their dogs to kill.

I've been owned by Dobermans for 30 years, and have been active in Doberman Rescue for about 28 years. I see first hand what the low-lifes do to create their aggressive dogs. I guarantee that you don't want to see it, or the result. I also see what irresponsible owners do to create unstable dogs, and what irresponsible parents do that causes their children to be injured or killed by dogs.

For interesting stats on fatal dog attacks, go to: http://ncrf2004.tripod.com/. AKC.com also has stats on dog bites. You may be surprised by which breeds have the highest number of reported bites.

BSL does nothing to prevent dog bites; it is a knee-jerk reaction based on fear, lack of knowledge, and media sensationalism. What BSL would do, however, is wantonly and unjustly discriminate against a specific group of people - the owners of certain breeds of dogs.

To paraphrase Bush the 1st: "It's the people, stupid!"

[CatdaBrat]

Just returned from visiting my mom in Gilroy for a week, and every day I walked her little Bichon around the neighborhood. (She was on a leash.)

One morning, I decided to turn down a different street and everything was fine, until across the street I heard a homeowner yell something. I thought maybe he was just hollering at somebody in or around his yard, but then he literally flew through the air and leaped into the street, whereupon he fell and badly hurt his hand.

What he was doing was yelling at his dog and trying to catch him. Before I knew it, here comes this large dog snarling and barking and trying to get at my mom's little dog. At one point I am sure he had his mouth on her, but he must've gotten just fluffy hair, because she wasn't injured. I had to pull her up by the leash and try to keep her safe until the dog owner and his wife managed to come with a leash and get the dog.

I am just lucky the dog didn't knock me down to get at my mom's dog. The dog owner's wife had come runnning with the leash in one hand and a hot dog in the other, and she promptly fed the dog the weenie. He probably thought he was being rewarded. I thought that was unwise.

The man, holding his bleeding hand that had a big open gash in it, apologized and said his dog had never done anything like that before, but I am wondering if that was true. If the dog was previously deemed gentle and safe, then why did the owner practically kill himself with panic when he realized his dog was intent on crossing the street?

I wasn't the least bit afraid, even though logic would have indicated that I should have been. Maybe that is the only reason I didn't get bitten myself. It wasn't until they led that dog away that I realized, "Hey, that was a pit bull!"

Despite that incident, which had the potential for turning into a tragedy for all involved, I do not feel as if I want more laws. I think people should probably be allowed to have whatever breed of dog they want, but if there are going to be any necessary restrictions, put them on the dog owners for things such as obeying the leash laws and otherwise keeping their animals under control at all times.

I have to hand it to that little Bichon, as she wasn't afraid, either. She didn't even tremble afterward ... just trotted along as if it was just another adventure for the day.

[Mibrew]

Glad everything turned out ok Cat http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/yes.gif

That could have been a terrible shock for your Mom if this Pit Bull would have been able to sink its teeth into your Moms dog http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/no.gif

[BichonLover]

I have to hand it to that little Bichon, as she wasn't afraid, either. She didn't even tremble afterward ... just trotted along as if it was just another adventure for the day.[/QUOTE]
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http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/yes.gif (Bichons are sometimes a little too fearless) http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/yes.gif

[Mibrew]

Ya know when I first heard the name Bichon from you, I thought you were playing with words, and was trying to imply bitchin http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/laugh.gif

[wandaful]

I'm so glad you and your Mom's dog are ok. Having owned a dog aggressive pit, I hear you loud and clear and certainly can't make any excuses other than to say that he Probably wouldn't have hurt you, but that is totally beside the point.
Sorry you had to be faced with my questions just when something so scary happened.

[CatdaBrat]

Thanks, everybody, for the caring words.

Wandaful, I LOVE to participate in Oakhurst Forum polls ... was glad it was there!

[Yosemite_Wolf]

ut oh... are we gonna turn this into an anti pitbull thread? Hope not. The owner of that dog should have had the dog in an area where he/she couldnt get out. When I lived in Fresno, I had a neighbour (who is actually now friends)...who called the landlord on us cos "our pitbull was roaming the neighbourhood". It wasnt our sweet lil bratty Sapphire, but the pitbull from next door.... who looked like mine but had gonads http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/happy.gif We got that sorted.... life went on. A few days later i went out front and saw this pitbull in the stret... at first im like "sapphire get your a$$ back in the yard"... then i realised it wasnt her. The dog came into my yard (no fence)... and scared the sh*t out of me cos he headed right for the porch. I jumped into the house, shut the door and grabbed my housemate who went outthere and HE was scared poopless too. We went to the lady next door (NOT a friend) and he reponse was "its my son's dog and i cant get near the dog". I was so bloody livid!!! if ya cant handle a dog in your yard.. then DONT have one! She had to call the SPCA on the dog, they came and picked it up... and from then on life was heck cos the b*tch neighbour lady blamed us for her dog getting picked up.

DOH! the answer here is RESPONSIBLE dog ownership. Ban the Deed not the breed. My pitbull is a pussycat.... she loves to chase the cats but doesnt know what to do when she gets nose to nose... shes got a few catclaw scars on her nose!!!!!!!!

[Californee Girl]

Like Ive said before, Ive had several pits and not one of them had even an ounce of violence in them. I didnt raise them all from pups either.

Come to think of it, Ive seen three dog attacks in my life. One was a German Sheppard. One was a toy poodle http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/annoyed.gif. And one was a Doberman. I know for a fact the doberman had been trained to be vicious, and thats a sad fact. All three accounts were thanks to incompetant owners. The toy poodle was probably the worst because it happened to a small child in a local daycare.

They're dogs much like we're humans. To say that all of a certain breed is bad is like saying that all of a certain race is bad, and we wouldnt have that on OF now would we?

[wandaful]

Pit bull threads could go on forever and nothing is resolved. You sure said it all....it's the owners.
Our youngest son and I have pitbulls. Our oldest son has a mixed breed dog. That son's son has a pitbull. The only dog of the bunch who has bitten is the son's mix. More than once. Son still doesn't trust pit bulls because they can do so much damage....concedes that they are loveable dogs. Defends his biting dog (shepherd size) by saying it is just over protective of his youngest. And I agree.....big dogs can do a lot of damage....any big dogs. No point....just rambling.

[BichonLover]

Originally posted by Mibrew:
Ya know when I first heard the name Bichon from you, I thought you were playing with words, and was trying to imply bitchin http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/laugh.gif
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http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/angel.gif

http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/happy.gif Bichon Frise = Bee shon free say http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/happy.gif

http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/angel.gif

[Yosemite_Wolf]

yeah.. big dog.. big mouths! but i think the most vicious are the smaller dogs with sharp lil needle teeth! Small dogs are faster to bite... they are STEALTH! My pitbull tries to protect ME from the Vet!!!!! German shepards scare me BIG time. But all dogs deserve to have love and compassion... cos dogs ROCK!!!!

[Summer]

Well the gangers really did a number on the pit bulls by making them their "dog of choice". But they could have chose any breed. Any dog can be taught to be mean. You can't always tell by size either. I have a huge Aussie Shepherd. Many people are scared when she comes up to them but the minute you touch her she lays down and rolls on her back with legs in air waiting for a tummy rub! She is chock full of affection. I do worry when she is around little ones - not cuz she'll hurt them but I'm afraid she'll knock them over and they may hit their head or something. She is as big as a 2 yr. old. But total sweet and just craves affection. Gee, do you think I love my dog or something? http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/laugh.gif

[concerned]

German Shepherds are very trainable, They can be traine to the point that when you are out walking with them they will not make a move without your ok. I worked with a couple of other breeders back in the 50's and we had our dogs trained on silent arm signals as well as voice. If my dog was out in a field and looked whe was about to take off after something I would throw my arm straight up in the air and she would immediately hit the ground and wait for me.

[Summer]

Oh no doubt about it - German Shepherds are the best at being trained. They were used in the wars a lot. Not only can you train them with hand signals but I know people who give commands in a foreign language. I think most police dogs are shepherds, too. They are very very smart.

[wandaful]

So are pitbulls trainable, but the terrier in them may make it take a little longer. My Cookie is a rescue....the kids found her at about 6 months old wandering around the school with a broken rope tied to her collar. Anyway, because I can't raise my voice to yell (we had 5 fenced acres), I taught her to come to a whistle. And she is very good at obeying hand signals, considering I never put any effort into teaching them. She comes to a finger snap and stops on a dime at NO.

[Yosemite_Wolf]

Wandaful.. my pitbull comes to the sound of the Jeep or Truck door opening. She could be off at the back of our acre... i just slam the Jeep door..... and shes THERE! Shes learned to stay on the property cos Ive kicked her furry butt many times for going near the road. And she is the ONLY one who hasnt snuck out of my dogpen that is guarded with dogelectric fence. She knows.. get out of the pen.. get butt kicked by Mum! my chow pup is still learning.. she likes to give me that defiant look and runn off. Shes learning tho.

[Kahlua Kid]

I loved my Toy Poodle - and she never bit nobody!

I also loved my Black Lab - and he never bit nobody!

My aunt and uncle had a big German Shepard and he never bit nobody (but that's cuase they NEVER let him out of the back yard... if someone he didn't know was to go in the back yard without my aunt or uncle... well, they were fair game ... and that's the way it was and we liked it!) http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wiseguy.gif

[Californee Girl]

I shouldnt have made the ugly face after toy poodle in my post KK. Thats me being ultra hypocritical. The dogs reflect their owners. This particular dog had a real nasty owner.

[Kahlua Kid]

No worries- I laughed at it - its the irony of the sweet, little Toy Poodle and it being ferocious! I got the joke!

Ok - I'll admit to it... my my Grandparents dog, Iggy the Pomeranian, would bite!!! But he wasn't allowed out of the house/backyard either... but he'd try to nip me that little brat!

[Ironhorse]

http://www.dogexpert.com/HomePage/DogBiteStatistics.html

[Ironhorse]

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html

[Ironhorse]

http://www.thedogplace.com/library/articles156.htm

[Ironhorse]

When I was in Animal Control, the most frequent breeds involved in dog bites were: Pit Bulls, Akitas, Dobies and Rotts. A lot of these were mixed breeds, but predominantly on one of the breeds, exp. 1/2 Pit, 1/4 something else and 1/4 something else. The reason? They were owned by gang bangers/addicts/dealers, or they were running loose, or they were chained in their yards all the time and were not socialized, or their owners taught them to be mean. Akitas were the most vicious in the bites, with repeated bites. The Pits tended to clamp down and hang on. Pits were the worst at ganging up and going on cat killing rages/binges. Just my experience.

[Summer]

When I was in Animal Control, the most frequent breeds involved in dog bites were: Pit Bulls, Akitas, Dobies and Rotts. A lot of these were mixed breeds, but predominantly on one of the breeds, exp. 1/2 Pit, 1/4 something else and 1/4 something else. The reason? They were owned by gang bangers/addicts/dealers, or they were running loose, or they were chained in their yards all the time and were not socialized, or their owners taught them to be mean. Akitas were the most vicious in the bites, with repeated bites. The Pits tended to clamp down and hang on. Pits were the worst at ganging up and going on cat killing rages/binges. Just my experience.
Oh boy my home, how could you stand it? How inhumane some people are. But then sometimes instead of dogs they train their kids that way too. My heart just breaks for the poor innocent children and animals - the most vulnerable and sweet things on this earth.

[Yosemite_Wolf]

yeah.. if someone goes into a yard, back yard or front...then they deserve what they get from the dog.. cos its the DOGS yard!!!

here is a pic of my "KILLER" pitbull Topaz.... she is just post-swimmin at Manzanita lake. Shes a bit stroppy in the pic cos i had tossed her in the truck instead of letting her run loose. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/happy.gif

[wandaful]

She is beautiful....I love brindle. My Cookie sure misses swimming.....we used to live on Nelder Creek and she loved it.

[Californee Girl]

shes beautiful

[Yosemite_Wolf]

Shhhhhhh dont let her hear ya saying that! She has a big enuf ego as it is!

[John @ 3300ft.]

Originally posted by Summer:
Oh no doubt about it - German Shepherds are the best at being trained. They were used in the wars a lot. Not only can you train them with hand signals but I know people who give commands in a foreign language. I think most police dogs are shepherds, too. They are very very smart.
http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/laugh.gif All language is foreign to dogs silly!

German Shepherds are the best police/war dogs by far.

I once had a neighbor with a very large unaltered male German Shepherd. Thor was great around people and kids, but got out alot and would fight with any large male dogs that entered his "territory"-
which was anyplace he happend to be at.

[Summer]

I once had a neighbor with a very large unaltered male German Shepherd. Thor was great around people and kids, but got out alot and would fight with any large male dogs that entered his "territory"-
which was anyplace he happend to be at.
Kinda like the human male, eh? http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wink3.gif

[Summer]

Oh yeah, that Topaz has that real "killer" look - more like "how bout givin me a treat and/or belly rub"?! Adorable dog, YW!

[Yosemite_Wolf]

LOL Summer!!!! "kinda like the human male".......

[Ironhorse]

Originally posted by John @ 3300ft.:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Summer:
Oh no doubt about it - German Shepherds are the best at being trained. They were used in the wars a lot. Not only can you train them with hand signals but I know people who give commands in a foreign language. I think most police dogs are shepherds, too. They are very very smart.
http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/laugh.gif All language is foreign to dogs silly!

German Shepherds are the best police/war dogs by far.

I once had a neighbor with a very large unaltered male German Shepherd. Thor was great around people and kids, but got out alot and would fight with any large male dogs that entered his "territory"-
which was anyplace he happend to be at. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually a lot of law enforcement departments having been going towards other breeds of dogs in the last several years. A lot of the valley ones are using more of the Malanoise breed than other breeds. It looks kind of like a smaller version of the german shepherd. I believe the trend away from the shepherds and rottweilers is because of the hip dysplasia problems with those breeds, and some other health problems that seem to crop up more often with them. The Malanoise has been more versatile, for regular police work, narcotics, etc.

[Summer]

I read an article in the Bee yesterday that in Denver (where they have this law now) they are going right to the homes that have pitbulls and taking the dogs away! Wow, this sounds like dog gestapo! The people have actually started an underground railroad to get their dogs to another state to save them. Crazy! http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/no.gif

[Yosemite_Wolf]

that is invasion of privacy!!! thats THEFT! Id be calling the ACLU if i lived in Denver right now!

[wandaful]

It is crazy, and it scares the hell out of me. Loosing my dog scares me, but the government having this kind of power scares me more.