Trish King's "bully breed" hand out?

People always hate on the bully breeds.  I guess they fear what they don't know.  Interesting article about the pit that saved the family from a cobra.  Give the bully breeds a chance, they are amazing.

ORIGINAL: Angelique

[linkhttp://www.ascpbr.blogspot.com/]http://www.ascpbr.blogspot.com/[/link]

I was rather surprised to see such a well known positive trainer making these very negative, gross generalizations in a recent hand-out. What makes her an expert on APBTs, pit mixes, and other bully breeds? Is this another attempt to remove all dogs which may need more than what "her" choice of methods have to offer? Hmmmm...

Her handout comments and the remarks of those who do not agree with her are found near the bottom of the page, with additional links to other comments.

I didn't see any negative generalizations in her article.  I did like the point-counterpoint, but it seems to me that the blogger's agenda is that any printed material that refers to the APBT or any "Pit Bull" Type should be completely positive.  That's perfectly fine if that's her agenda.

I think having a pittie would be much more easy than having my Pharaoh Hounds.  Heck just about any dog is easier than them. 

One thing I do agree with the blogger about is that ANYONE adopting a particular breed of dog should educate themselves about that particular breed.  Look at the posts in the Behavior, or Training threads about Labs, or Huskies or BCs.  People think the puppies are cute...until they get home and their couch has been eaten, their backyard destroyed and the cat half-dead. 

Are alot of Pittie types unadoptable?  Probably.  Would you think a Pittie is a great dog for a first time owner who knows nothing of dog behavior?  I wouldn't think that ANY terrier is the best choice, though there are some that are better than others.  Heck my list of dogs that are difficult for first timers is huge and it includes several breeds I've shared my home with. 

I do agree with the bloggers point that pitties are generally human friendly and very trusting.  Why, I don't know.  There have been so many atrocities committed upon these dogs by humans that it boggles the mind.

I know this is a long post but I'll wrap up by saying that I like the APBT, AmStaffs and almost all the bully breeds.  I think that they have a bum rap because of horrible people doing horrible things to them.

I do agree with the bloggers point that pitties are generally human friendly and very trusting. Why, I don't know. There have been so many atrocities committed upon these dogs by humans that it boggles the mind.

 
*Hand up*   I know, I know!
 
At least I think I do.  During the period in the breeds history where it was being bred for dog fighting it was bred for super super hyper friendliness towards humans - to the point where their owners could even intervene where necessary in "the pit" and not be so worried that the dog would snap at them (as most dogs would).  That's not to say that it's safe for an owner to wade in if their pit gets into a fight.  But it was a practical trait to try and breed for when they were being bred and used for that purpose.
 
Interesting article btw......

In the "old dog world" human aggressive dogs (in the pit) were often euthanised ON THE SPOT. There was ZERO tolerance for human aggression.

I think there're still a few game type lines turned ADBA showlines that get harped on for their founding sire being a "man biter". 

I think you need to take into consideration that Trish writes from the perspective of someone who has to make fast decisions.  No one has time to have shelter dogs in foster care indefinitely. That's a job for rescue.  Ever try to get a dog into Pittie rescue?  In the Northeast, the dogs far outnumber the foster homes.
And, I don't really think Trish said anything so horrible, even if you love APBT's.  It is a known fact that the bully breeds tend to escalate during play.  One of the reasons why I've been so successful in my play group is that I try very hard not to allow them to get to the point where they "drift".  This is not only common to Pits, but to Boxers and Bulldogs as well.  It doesn't make them bad dogs, and I don't think Trish is suggesting that.  But, it does make them harder to adopt out to appropriate homes.  And, she is right that the average joe wants a dog park dog.  Pits, for the most part, are not safe in dog parks.  Even if there is a tiff that isn't their fault, they are blamed.  And, some owners, whose Pittie pup plays nicely for a year, doesn't realize (unless some unbiased person has told them), that the "switch" can go off in these dogs, and some of them will suddenly become quite DA.
When that happens at a dog park, the result is a disaster.
Knowing a breed, and being willing to speak out about it, does not make one a breed basher.  In fact, I work pretty hard to prevent BSL from happening.  But, every Pittie zealot who tries to make the world think that this is a family-friendly dog for everyone, loses sight of the fact that there is a reason why we are having so much trouble with Pit attacks. People are not managing these dogs properly.  Why? Because some idiot told them "it's all in how you raise them".  Well, it isn't.  At least not wholly.  Part of it is genetic, and these are dogs that were raised to fight for a couple of centuries.  So, in some of them, blood will tell.  The problem is, in a rescue, how do you know who bred him, or what lines he came from???  So, the simple answer is that you manage him as if he were from fighting lines, and you don't expose other people's dogs to danger.  No easy answers here, but the shelters have to take some responsibility for keeping the public safe.  A reasonable discussion about predatory drift is not out of order.  In fact, only by facing the problem head on will Pittie people get their wish - to be judged by deed not by breed.