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Add to FavoritesThe media is morally responsible for demonizing Pit Bulls, just as they have done with German Sherpards and Rotweillers. The media feeds on stories of children being mauled by these dogs. Sometimes it seems that the worse the maulling the more coverage the story gets. Has anyone bothered to look at the owners of these dogs that have attacked young children? It is not the dog's responsibility it is the owner's responsibility to teach the dog not to attack or to mame its victim.
Over the years I have owned two German Shepards, they are wonderful intelligent animals, yet for years they had bad reputations. I know own a half Pit Bull half Boxer dog. If Rose is an example of what a Pit Bull is like then yes the media is definately responsible for demonizing Pit Bulls. Rose is one of the most gentle loving dogs I have ever met. She was abandoned at a truck stop in Texas where we found her starving to death, she had fleas, and worms. I could not understand why anyone would have just dumped her there until I called the telephone number on her rabies tag. The Vet 's assistant told me this dog was a Lab, I told her I did not think so. I described the dog, she said that someone must have switched the tags. That was when I learned about Pit Bulls and dogs fights. Pit Bulls are bred to fight, for years that was the sole purpose to fight to the death. Rose was one of those unfortunate dogs that was not aggressive, she is just a real sweetheart. At any rate, inorderto get these dogs to fight especially ones like Rose, they are electircally shocked with cattle prods, they are shaved, someone burned Rose's tail to make her fight. No wonder these dogs are now genetically engineered!
Perhaps the media should run some stories about these Pit Bulls that are forced to fight, how cruel they are treated. I have met Pit Bulls that are big babies. I will never forget two Pit Bulls in a backyard, the female wanted nothing more than to be petted, the male was very aggressive and no doubt would have taken a piece of my hand. The female was not restrained the male was on a huge chain attached to the garage. I thought about that situation apparently the female was trustworthy and the male was not. My next question was why would anyone keep such a large aggressive animal in their backyard? Granted this was not a good neighborhood, but that has nothing to do with why one animal was chained and the other was not. I am sure the media would not have asked that question. The media is more interested in sensantionalism, at least that is the way it seems. The more horrible the story the more it is presented to the public.
The Pit Bulls are no more demonic than any other bred, they have been singled out at the moment because of their size. It was the same thing when German Shepards were under attack by the media years ago. It seemed that every newspaper had a story about a German Shepard attacking some by stander, now it is Pit Bulls what breed will be singled out next? If the owners of these dogs would be more responsible for their dogs. Dogs are creatures of habit, if they are taught with love and caring they will be a loving and caring dog; if they are taught to hate and are abused they will be aggressive and angry animals. The question is how do you make people more responsible?
The media had a feeding frenzy when the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons was arrested and charged with conducting dog fights. Was it the Pit Bulls fault that these animals were being beaten and abused? Not hardly some of those dogs were put down because they had become so aggressive, they were not being fed, they penned up so they could not in some cases even turn around in their cage. Where was this man's head? He was not responsible enough to even admit that he had fighting dogs. The media turned his trial into a circus, and of coarse the Pit Bulls got a lot of bad publicity again. What was wrong with this picture?
I would like to reinterate that it is not the breed of dog, in this case Pit Bulls, they are not demonic monsters the media portrays. I sometimes think people just enjoy the sensantionalism of reading about dogs attacking, being bred to attack. Owning a dog is a responsibility, it is not a game. Dogs depend on us they are social animals that give us unconditional love. When people learn to take responsibility for their pets then and only then will the media stop singling out breeds of dogs that are aggressive until then why blame the dog, it is not its fault that it is taught to be aggressive, it is not responsible for its actions it is doing what it has been taught to do. It is that plain and simple. Take responsibility for your pet and its actions, stop blaming an entire breed of dog, if the animal is that aggressive it has no business being chained up in your back yard, where it can get loose. Responsibility is the key word here.
Learn more about this author, Suzanne Marsh.
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No
Is the media responsible of demonising Pit Bulls?
The American Pit Bull is a bull terrier type dog which was bred originally from bulldogs and bull terriers imported from Britain.The news often reports stories of people, especially children, having been badly savaged and even killed by this type of dog. Does the breed deserve a reputation as a savage brute or has the media painted an erroneous and unjust picture of a dog which is often a loyal and obedient family pet?
The poor maligned American Pitbull has had a lot of bad press, there is no doubt about that. Along with the German Shepherds,the Rottweiler and the Doberman Pincer, the sight of a Pittbull is enough to make many a grown man cross the street. Stories have been reported of young children
being brutally attacked, maimed and killed and documentaries shown of serios and bloody dog fighting "sports" which leave a lasting impression on the mind. Pitbulls are strongly built. powerful energetic dogs. They do not look like it would be a good idea to get on the wrong side!
Yet, many families keep a Pitbull and declare them to be loyal. obedient and loving pets. It is true that over the years since the first bull terrier type dogs arrived in the Sates in the 1800's, great care has been taken by breeders to engourage the reproduction of only those dogs which are non-agressive towards both humans and other dogs. This has done much to create breed which has a stable and obedient temperament capable of filling the role of family pet as well as working as narcotics detectors, hearing dogs and in the field of search and rescue. The latter working dogs have by neccessity been highly trained by experts and well socialised with both humans and other animals. They are thus secure dogs who know the boundaries and who are given correct work, play and food to keep them well adjusted and content.
A dog, however, is only going to be as good as its owner. Sadly, many of the so called dangerous dogs are bought as a sign of machismo by people who perhap never should have a dog at all. Bill Sykes springs to mind. How loyal and faithful was Bullseye to his master. Yet he received only bullying and ill treatment for his devotion. Enough to turn any dog sour. They are very often inadequately or incorrectly trained, not given enough suitable excercise and play and not fed the best diet. Being powerful and energetic with lively minds, the dogs can easily become frustrated, bored and bad tempered through no fault of their own. Some are even kept illegally for fighting purposes and not every dog on the market will have been genetically selected for its gentle nature.
Pitbulls were bred to fight. With their wide chests, broad shoulders and small muzzles they are the perfect shape to take hold and hang on, with terrier tenacity, to the death in the dog fighting arena. Those genes will never be entirely eradicated and there will always be the possibility of genetic "throw back". In no way is it the fault of the animal and it does seem unjust that if things go wrong and damage is done, that a creature which has been genetically manipulated by man to be savage should have to sacrifice its life for doing what it has been bred to do.
Being highly bred usually carries with it an element of sensitivity and exciteability. So it is really small wonder that a powerful energetic dog, wrongly trained and poorly excercised should "lose it" at a time of additional stress, like Bonfire Night or Christmas when all the humans are acting strangely and under the influence of alcohol. Even a distant earthquake might put a sensitive dog on red alert.
Stories of times when a pitbull goes aggressive are always picked up by the press. It is right that they are. Given that certain breeds of dog do have more unpredictable natures and are known to have aggressive genes it is only responsible to report incidents where people are seriously attacked. There is a "need to know" It is not "demonising". These dogs were bred to kill. They are strong, powerful and sensitive which are fine qualities but can be fatal in the hands of the wrong owners. Maybe the media could show more of the positive work of the Pitbull as they have of the German Shepherd but when it comes to choosing a pet it can surely only be an advantageous thing to know about the dark side.
Learn more about this author, margaret hillcroft.
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