#breed discrimination

•*•*• 15th March 2020 •*•*•

This is a quote from How to Train Your Dragon 2. Toothless the dragon unintentionally kills someone because he was being controlled by a bad man. This quote is the same quote used to fight for the end of (dog) breed discrimination. Pit bulls and similar breeds are banned and/or highly restricted in so many places, including England. They are branded “dangerous dogs”, when the most aggressive dogs I’ve seen are often small dogs, like Chihuahuas.

People judge these dogs because they are often kept by reckless or abusive owners - ones who underestimate their training and exercise needs or who deliberately turn them into aggressive dogs. They are often a status symbol of thugs and dog fighters. This is not their choice or their nature. Any dog can be abused and programmed this way. PIT BULLS ARE GOOD DOGS UNDER THE CONTROL OF BAD PEOPLE. You only have to meet the millions of wonderful pitties, even former bait dogs, to see how amazing they are.

By J. L. Thurston

Pit bulls were selectively bred for dogfighting (false). Pit bulls are highly aggressive (false). Pit bulls can’t get along with other animals (false).

Google it if you don’t believe me. Research takes two minutes no matter where you are because we all have smartphones.

There are multiple dogfighting breeds, and, yes, unfortunately pit bulls are in the majority. But bloodletting sports speaks very little about the breed of dog and instead speaks volumes of humanity. Any animal is highly aggressive if mistreated and unsocialized. Any animal will have a hard time getting along with other animals if unsocialized. That is just nature. Even people are this way.

Growing up, I had a keeshond. He wasn’t very big unless you counted the fur. He was a nice dog. A smart, obedient dog. But he was not socialized. He’d attack other dogs. He tried to bite little kids. If he was a pit bull, he’d be hated. But instead, he was a gray fluff-ball with a curly tail, so no one cared.

My pit bull, Watson, will not hurt you. Watson is not aggressive. He’s been socialized since day one. He’s lining up to be a therapy dog. He goes to dog parks, doggy day care, and retail stores. He lives with a cat and a toddler. My pit bull wants your love.

If he jumps on you, it is because he’s desperately trying to get closer to you. If he lunges at you, it is only because he’s so excited to meet you and become your best friend. When he sees you, it is the best thing that has happened to him so far and nothing else in the world exists.

We’re working on the training. He sits, stays, lays down, crawls, shakes, high fives, and begs on command. But he’s six months old. He’s still working on self-control. Please be patient with him.

I’ve had issues. I’ve had a doggy day care refuse him simply because of his breed. His own vet office is ignorant about him, treating him different because of his size. Little do they know his brother goes there, too, but does not receive such cold treatment because he’s small and sort of chubby.

Watson is a muscle-bound fool, but he can’t help that. And he has no idea what he looks like. He’s just a dog.

“One of the tactics included attempts to counterbalance the pit bull's menacing appearance and physical power with overwhelming ‘affectionate’ behavior, such as: ‘My dog might lick you to death.’”

He cannot fathom why people flinch from him. His heart breaks when he’s avoided. He doesn’t understand that his breed is hated, even outlawed in many places. He doesn’t know about pit bulls attacking kids and police officers.

But remember the cop in Idaho who shot a ‘vicious pit bull’ that barked at him inside a parked car? And it turned out that dog was a registered black lab.

Fear is the most dangerous emotion.

Watson is living in a happy home where the cat plays chase with him and the toddler pulls on his ears. He sleeps in a bed with his human mom and dad and, of course, the cat. He is a nanny dog, always helping keep an eye on the kiddo. He lives for his family, but his heart is so big he wants all other living creatures to be his best friends.

So, when he’s muzzled and called ‘aggressive’ at the vet’s office, I just don’t know how to comfort him. I can’t get rid of the confusion in his eyes when parents make their kids leave the park just because he’s sitting with me beneath the tree.

It’s smart to avoid dogs you don’t know, but it amazes me how many people of average intelligence do not understand any dog. I’ve seen people love up on chihuahuas that were actively growling and baring teeth, and I’ve seen people avoid a Dalmatian that was wagging its tail. I’ve had a pit bull owner call my dog a Great Dane. I’ve literally been stopped on the street because a young lady wanted to give me fifteen minutes of training advice. I’ve been scolded for giving my dog treats by complete strangers.

The truth is, a lot of people are uneducated when it comes to dogs, but a lot of people think they’re experts.

The doggy day care we take Watson to is the best. The Barking Lot tells me that he is a great play dog. At first, I thought it was just a nice way of saying he was hyper and they accept that, but it turns out he’s a great dog for helping shy dogs come out of their shell. They love him when he walks in the door. As soon as we step in there’s a collective cheer, “Watson!” Luckily for us, there is a place where he is loved and understood.

I’m glad Watson can’t know why some people hate him. It’s a blessing that all he can feel is love. The stigma, the ignorance, the breed discrimination breaks my heart. It’s racism for dogs. It’s cruel. It’s 2019, people should be better than this.

Sorry, Watson. You’re not a bad dog. People just see all your muscles, your big teeth and your focused eyes. People see your features and think killer. They don’t see you’re straining on the leash for pats. They don’t see your dopey grin. They can’t feel the love in your gaze.

You’re not a bad dog. People are just ignorant and blind. People let the media do their thinking for them. People love to pass judgement without context. People are cowards.

GOOD FOR YOU, MUSKEGON

Because the TSA decided, purely anecdotally, that people generally view floppy-eared dogs as more docile and friendly and pointy-eared dogs as more aggressive.

Allegedly, floppy-eared dogs don’t scare children but the pointy-eared dogs do.

Floppy-eared Golden Retriever

There is some research that supports the idea that people view pointy-eared dogs as more intimidating. This is a totally unsupported prejudice and it’s unfair to dogs because many dogs with pointy ears have had their naturally floppy ears cropped as puppies. Others have been genetically engineered by breeders to look that way.

Let’s be clear – pointy ears do not indicate an aggressive or dominant temperament. Ear configuration has no relationship to a dog’s disposition. This fear of pointy-eared dogs has been called ‘canine racism.’

Pointy-eared German Shepard at airport

I know a lot about doggie discrimination.

My daughter, Sarah, works with a Pit Bull rescue group in LA called Angel City Pit Bulls. One of their missions is to fight breed discrimination, like breed specific legislation which prohibits Pits from certain buildings and even certain cities. London had a Pit Bull ban and Montreal is trying to enact one. This forces people to choose between living where they want and giving up their beloved pet or finding somewhere else to live with their dog.

Pit Bulls are the canine ‘bad guys’ du jour. In the past, German Shepherds were shunned as aggressive and dangerous but now are used as companions and seeing-eye dogs. Then Rottweilers became the ‘bad dog’ du jour — and they don’t even have pointy ears!

Rottweiler

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Pit Bulls were used as the ‘nanny’ dog – to protect children and be their early companions. They were considered the ideal family pet and many family photos from the period include young children with their Pit Bulls.

Old photo of Pit Bull with his child

What’s even more galling about Pit Bull discrimination is that ‘Pit Bull’ isn’t even a legitimate breed. It’s an umbrella label that encompasses dogs from at least four different breeds, including Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Bulldog.

In shelters, dogs are labeled ‘Pit Bull’ if someone thinks they have some Pit Bull in them. The designation is totally arbitrary and subjective. And there are more Pits in shelters than any other breed and they are euthanized at a higher rate than any other breed.

Modern Pit and baby

To add insult to injury, the breeds that make up the faux category ‘Pit Bull’, are smack in the middle of the ratings for aggressiveness by breed. They are rated between Labs and Golden Retrievers! Clearly, these dogs are nowhere near being the most aggressive dogs.

In fact, the two most aggressive breeds are Chihuahuas and Dachshunds. But no one lodges complaints when attacked by a Chihuahua, probably because it would be embarrassing.

Sweet-faced Pit Bull

The most dominant traits in Pit Bull breeds are their gentleness and sweetness, their friendliness and their desire to please their humans. They got a bad reputation decades ago when dog fight promoters started training Pit Bulls to fight.

Remember, any dog can be trained to be aggressive and fight. And Pits are especially trainable because of their desire to please. Many Pits who have been rescued from dog fighting rings have been successfully rehabilitated and have been adopted as family pets – even after being trained to be aggressive.

So there is no basis for the widespread perception that Pit Bulls are more dangerous than other breeds. There is also no basis for the perception that pointy-eared dogs should be feared more than floppy eared dogs.

People seem to need to discriminate. They discriminate against people and dogs. We should fight prejudice and discrimination wherever we find it, even when it’s dogs. Mostly, dogs are nicer than people anyway.

Support dogs!

Breed-specific legislation (BSL) encompasses any law that focuses on particular dog breeds, making ownership within certain areas illegal or require special actions to keep the dog. The laws usually encompass military bases and entire cities; in fact more than 500 cities in the United States have BSL in place. The laws are enacted in an effort to alleviate dog attacks and dog fighting problems.…

So many people don't realize that their insurance company doesn't cover homes of certain breeds of dogs. That doesn't just mean that they won't cover incidents that involve their dog, it also means that if a catastrophic event were to take place, like a house fire, they can (and probably will) refuse to pay out that claim if they find out about their dog.