PIT BULL LEARNING CENTER

There is no such thing as a bad breed, or one that is born bad, making it inherently dangerous. It must follow then, that there are no bad pit bulls, or viscous or dangerous pit bulls, at least none that come made that way from the start. Unless you are born with your character traits, they are developed as a result of all that surrounds you; from the very environment you grow up in to the person(s) who raises you. Now there are two kinds of pit bull owners and they are directly responsible for the kind of pit bull they raise. Unfortunately, one is a person with absolutely no empathy or heart who tries to compensate for his total lack of character and decency by getting themselves a tough pit bull, in a pathetic attempt to make up for their own weakness and cowardice. To these ends they will deliberately hurt the dog, treating it with cruelty while always yelling as they withhold affection and basic creature comforts; in fact the only thing the dog can count on that is consistent is that every day of their life is miserable and lonely. It is so very unfair and wrong and sad and unless rescued from this hell, they will die.

Thankfully, there is another kind of pit bull owner as well. This person treats their dog with love, kindness, consideration, affection, warmth, ample food, water, shelter, exercise and attention; they do not take out their anger or frustration on their dog, they would rather suffer themselves than ever cause this dog any distress. The dog has stability, consistency and can count on every day being one of carefree joy, and a life where they can play, love and be loved; a life where their loyalty and desire to please is appreciated and returned in kind. This person actually has a relationship with their dog; they do not leave it chained up outside while they sit in comfort in their living room. I know many, myself included, that share their beds and pillows with their faithful friends. This type of pit bull owner has a dog that would give their life for that person, a dog that is very smart, well behaved, and a delight to have around I have never seen anything like the unconditional, intense and complete love this breed has to give; they give their all with every ounce of their being. I feel both honored and fortunate to be included in the elite group of grateful pit bull owners; and I pledge to fight for them every way I can so that they may finally realize the love, decency and respect that they so richly deserve. And I pray for the day when their reality is one of happy endings and joyful lives, and this nightmare finally ends for them forever.

Today I want to talk about Breed Specific Legislation. It is a horrible injustice and we must work together to put an end to it. Currently, 23 states have BSL laws. I was absolutely outraged by the time I finished reading them; I am so tired of peoples ignorance about this wonderful breed. Keep checking back, as I am going to launch some activities designed to help stop this ignorance. Following are a few statements that contradict the logic behind BSL. Please, let your voice be heard in this matter; write your congressman, sign petitions, spread the good stories about pit bulls, and above all do whatever it takes to protect pit bulls. I am the proud owner of two pits, a brindle and a red nosed pit and they are the most loving, loyal, sweet, smart and wonderful dogs I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. To think that in some states they would be discriminated against as vicious dogs when in reality they would not hurt a fly if not provoked (like any dog) makes me so mad. So please, read on, and then join me in ending this atrocity. Thank you.

Strongly enforced dog control laws such as leash laws, generic guidelines for dealing with dangerous dogs and increased public education efforts to promote responsible dog ownership are all positive ways to protect communities from dangerous dogs. Increasing public education efforts is significant because it helps address the root cause of the problem --- irresponsible dog owners. Banning a breed or particular mix of breeds punishes those dogs that are reliable community citizens, therapy dogs, and assistance dogs for handicapped owners, search and rescue dogs, drug-sniffing dogs, police dogs, etc., and drives them out of the community. Banning a breed or declaring it inherently vicious punishes those responsible dog owners who are the type of citizens that communities need to keep, not drive away. Dog control problems are people problems, and are not limited to a breed or mix. BSL should be replaced with behavior-based regulations and sanctions if communities wish to effectively control the potential for canine aggression and encourage owner responsibility.

The term pit bull is used to group three dog breeds: The American Pit Bull Terrier, The American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire terrier. The American Temperament Test Society, ATTS, has spent the last 24 years testing over 185 different breeds of dogs. The American Pit Bull Terrier scored 86.4%, the American Staffordshire terrier scored 84.2% and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier scored 89.7%. What this means is that the temperament of these dogs is very high, and they are great pets or working dogs.