Pitbulls are unfairly discriminated against.
Every day, perfectly good dogs are put down for no other reason than what they look like.
I am firmly opposed to breed bans.
Having said that, let's recognize that the reason so many people want this breed in their lives is because the dog does look intimidating and is capable of terrible damage, and does have a reputation.
Listen to the very well-done video, above. Is this well-sung song a paen to the Pit Bull, or a subtle celebration of the fact that owning a Pit Bull gets the owner a lot of attention because the dog is intimidating?
Just a question ... Notice the leather jacket, the soul patch, and the prong (pinch) collar on the dog. All fine, but it is part of a look, isn't it? We choose how we look, just as we chose the kind of dog we own. I am not trying to be critical. I am simply observing a truth too rarely said in the Pit Bull Community, which is that a lot of people are attracted to these dogs because they project an aura of intimidation, and instead of trying to lessen that aura, some Pit Bull owners actually accentuate it a little bit, intentionally or not.
Now for an idea (and I have asked this question before): Why not mandate canine responsibility?
If I want to shoot deer or ducks or pheasant, I have to take a state-approved hunter's safety course.
If I want to drive a car, I have to take a state-approved driving course and/or pass a test.
If I want to hunt with hawks, I have to pass a test, do two years as an apprentice, and have my setup inspected.
Why not require that dog owners -- especially owners of large too-often abused breeds like Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds -- be required to take a course on canine responsibility? Why no require it for anyone who breeds dogs as well?
The Pit Bull community is opposed to breed bans. I am too. But let's not act as if there is not a problem with Pit Bulls. There is. They are too easily owned, they are too easily abandoned, and they are large dogs that can do serious damage in the wrong hands.
How about instead of dog owners beating their chests about rights, we start standing up to talk about our responsibiltity for dogs?
Right now, Pit Bulls are banned in quite a few cities and towns across the U.S.
Would those breed bans have passed if, instead of a breed ban, what was proposed was a licensing scheme predicated on a prospective or current owner taking a canine responsibility course geared toward large breed dogs? You know what would happen then? Pit Bull people would actually be seen as people who know something about dogs.
Just an idea.
Those that want to continue to see the dogs bred without end, killed without end, and breed bans spread without end, can continue on as before...
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