An ignorant article about pitbulls

[Michelle Melsom]

This article has to be the biggest load of crapo I have ever read...can you believe that? and is she suggesting that Huskies and rotties should fall under BSL as well? Sounds to me that shes just spewing out ignorance anyone that knows a husky knows that any "attack" by one is never vicious and as far as any breed goes its the owner not the dog people need to remember these are animals and train them and treat them as such they cant speak

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/08/01/barbara-kay-on-ontarios-pit-bull-ban-pit-bulls-are-bred-to-maul/

[Removed #5]

If it weren't that some people would take her seriously, the whole article was a farce! The comments say it better than I can.

BSL *might* have it's use, but it's being pushed so haphazardly that there is no sense to it.

I will acknowledge that some breeds of dogs are easier to train for guardian purposes than others - Shepherds, Rotts, etc - but to suggest that they're dangerous because they perform the function for which they were trained is beyond ludicrous.

I quit, I wish there were a win in this argument but I don't think that there is.

[Michelle Melsom]

I think BSL is crap, dogs are individuals I don't think it has anything to do with breed, sometimes bad breeding is a factor because pitbulls are over bred and bred for dog fighting rings but I wouldn't condemn a whole breed there are still some proper breeders out there that breed them. I've never met a mean pitbull or rotti in my life :/

[jmscott]

Part of the ban on Sibs is because the people that want to ban them cant tell them apart from hybrids, mixes, and other husky breeds. The purpose of the Siberian was to be a working family dog, which is part of what differentiates them from other northern spitz breeds.

In 10 years we could be banning the golden retriever. After all, the most vicious dog I have ever met was a Golden, and there are a lot of aggressive dogs being bred, so it must stand to reason that the breed as a whole is vicious.

[Removed #5]

... and as much as I like the nature of labs, the two most vicious dogs I met while driving for a garbage company were both chocolate labs. It was almost a standing joke that when the guys working the back of the truck came across an animal they weren't comfortable with, they'd come get me. Whether it was attitude or what, I don't know, but where some dogs would "irritate" my helpers, they seldom seemed to bother me.

We had a "pack" of German Shepherds ( this fellow probably had about 5 - 6 GSD's ) everyone else was afraid of them but after I'd gone to pick up his trash a couple of times, the GSD's were there, tails wagging, heads up in a "pet me!" attitude - I did and they were great dogs, just good watch dogs.

Back to my labs, one was never anything other than a nuisance - came out of his yard at a dead run, raising enough hell to raise the dead - but I don't think he ever did anything but bark. Eventually the guys got used to his noise, but if I'd been them it would have made me nervous as well. The other lab - don't know what got into him one day, he chased my helper up the side of the truck, the handholds aren't intentional but you can really climb the side, I got out and he came towards me but wasn't too sure ... I picked up his owners trash can, dumped it into the back of the truck and as I turned around he came at me - ended up putting some holes in his owners trash can since that's all that was between me and him! I did call the owner and explained why he had some teeth marks in his trash can and that if wanted his trash picked up after that he'd have to have *that* dog restrained, he did, no further problem.

So if we want to go for BSL, then chocolate labs *in my book* have a real bad rep! Let's outlaw them all! I'll note that in both cases, you could probably say that the labs were protecting their owners property - but the end result was the same - some real nervous people!

[Michelle Melsom]

Part of the ban on Sibs is because the people that want to ban them cant tell them apart from hybrids, mixes, and other husky breeds. The purpose of the Siberian was to be a working family dog, which is part of what differentiates them from other northern spitz breeds.

In 10 years we could be banning the golden retriever. After all, the most vicious dog I have ever met was a Golden, and there are a lot of aggressive dogs being bred, so it must stand to reason that the breed as a whole is vicious.

Yes that's why I call them sibes most of the time because a husky can be cross with anything and everyone will call it a husky or if someone asks me if Marius is a husky I tell them hes a SIBERIAN husky

Ive met a mean golden and a mean gsd but the gsd was strictly a guard do go it was trained that way and is a double fenced yard and is kept well. I find most small dogs are meaner but nobody thinks as much of it because they are small

Edited August 1, 2012 by Michelle Melsom
added a bit

[Austinville]

The sad thing is that our breed could very well be next. I reiterate what I've said time and time again on this forum. As responsible owners, it is our job to educate the public. We need to get as much information out to the public as we possibly can about our breed. Meets and camps are just one of the many opportunities we have to share information. We cannot sit back and wait until our breed is 'chosen'...because then it's just plain too late and the battle is long and hard.

I urge every member to take every opportunity to educate those we come across about our breed. Don't tout the bad things as it is those that the public will remember.

If you have a camp/meet, write an article and submit it to the local paper, include photos. Explain the traits of the breed honestly. Provide information about this forum. If an article is turned down, ask why and then submit a letter to the editor touting the positive experience with other owners, what you learned and again this forum.

And I seriously agree with the statement above in referring to our huskies as 'Siberians' whenever possible. Leave no doubt on who they are and who we are.

*removes self from soapbox and returns to normal self, allowing this thread to go back to topic*

My apologies for taking this off topic.

[Lavs]

oh my f*ck. seriously. ignorant. and then throw in the little jab at huskies too, "more on them another time" do you have nothing better to write about? clearly not.

FTR ... i've been around all sorts of dogs in my life...rotties, shepherds, sibes and pitties, my family prefers larger breeds, and honestly, the only dog that ever bit me was my ex-bf's chihuahua.

[Michelle Melsom]

I'm assuming her jabs would be at huskies that have killed baby's well for one I can say that the parents were irresponsible for leaving their babies unattended with their dog and two these attacks most likely aren't vicious attacks but playful intent or accidents. Marius has been around a lot of babies and he is gentle usually sniffs them and that's it :/ if he cant find them he woo's I still cant believe that, that person wrote such an ignorant article

[Paranormal Wolf]

I won't go into the long rant that I am capable of because most, if not all, of you know where I stand on these issues ...

[jmscott]

But here's the thing, the Siberian Husky is already targeted. There are 8 apartment complexes in our area that will not allow Siberians to live on their property. In many states, you cannot get home insurance if you own a Siberian. My police officer friend has an eight year old Alaskan Klee Kai. When she was looking for an apartment and explained that she had an Alaskan Klee Kai she had to show a picture and was then called a liar and informed that her 8yo dog was a husky puppy. She was denied the apartment. And what are we supposed to do? Should we start having anti BSL rallies now before our breed is as hated and fear as the bully breeds? When will parents start pulling their child across the street so that they wont be attacked by the vicious husky? Should we change the name of this forum to the Siberian Husky Owners forum?

When I had Gunther I called him an American Terrier (American Pit Bull Terrier), and NEVER had a single person connect that to the term to pit bull and become unfriendly. Do we need to rename the breed the the Chukotka Sleddog?

Personally, I think we should make sure that when we talk about Siberian Huskies, we use the term Siberians or Sibs.

[mydiamond]

I once came across a pro-BSL page and decided to read a good amount of their pages to see where are these jokes coming from, and I uh, well... I think I *quite* understand what do they have in mind but their point of view is (as far as I can understand from their writing) waaaaaay too negative towards the dog. They don't care about the dog at all and basically tell the public that pit bulls, rotties and all those are monsters. They kept saying that "this is what they're bred for" and I can't understand how a dog breed that was created through thorough research which costs so many years is created to slaughter humans??? it's either I'm reading something wrong or they're stating something wrong.

I like to think it's the second option

[Stranger]

larger dogs tend to do more damage, and a pit like others tends to grab and hold, or snap shut fast and hard.

Like any dog they can snap, and it tends to be when people arent paying attention to what they are doing or if a dog hasnt be brought up the correct way.

Its nothing to do with the breed, even small dogs, although alot are snappy and yappy they arent breed to be that way.

you hear more about the larger breeds because they tend to do more damage because of their size, not because of their breed. small dogs can be just as dangerous, but who goes to a hospital and says i got attacked by a tiny mut...

problem you have these days is the sentences are too light....what was it i read the other day...Pig farm (picture was included) beating two bells of Shi* out of a pig and they said action will be taken, a fine and MAYBE prison....MAYBE, MAYBE you have got to be kidding me, if i beat two bells of crud out of someone i would get prison sentence full stop!

and as for the fines, they are small amounts, and if community service is required...360 hours...wow that 45 days worth of work if they worked 8 hour days, which then that will get halved!!!

as for the, you are banned from owning any animal for X amount of years...oh please forever wouldnt even be justice, but no tell you what we'll give you a £50 fine, community service of 100 hours, which we will half cause we know your going to be good, and a ban for lets see 5 years, of which we wont monitor....please!!!!!

these are the people who give breeds bad names!

Edited August 2, 2012 by Stranger

[Ravenwolf]

I think that huskies and other northern breeds are fast becoming THE dangerous dogs of the 2010s. '70s were dobermans, '80s were german shepherds, '90s were rottweilers, late '90s/2000s were pitbulls, and now for the 2012s huskies seem to very much be in the crosshairs.

But I think all dog activity is getting ridiculously handled. Take Wicca the pitbull in Montreal, Canada, who was put to death for jumping up on a person who startled her. Her claws scratched the woman, so this vicious dog had to be destroyed.

I'd like to see where Barbara gets her statistics from - they read to me as though they have been skewed to prove her point (which is common of all statistics, really), but mainly in that she omits other facts that can't be ignored.

What I DO agree with though, is that certain breeds - pit bulls and huskies are no exception - are not for everyone. There ARE breed-specific behaviours that - while most of the time may be harmless - can create huge issues when not handled appropriately. I do NOT consider most dog owners to be responsible. I feel that most dog owners let their dogs get away with far too many inappropriate behaviours, not always because they are "bad" owners, just that they don't know enough to correct it, or don't have the right attitude/temperament to enforce rules. A person can create a dangerous dog with too much "love" as readily as through abuse.

Of course, I do have to shake my head at the people who cry foul of the Ontario pitbull ban when their dogs get seized - the ban is well-known and has been in play for 7 years. These generally aren't people moving to Ontario WITH pitbulls - they were acquired illegally, then these people cry foul when their dogs are persecuted, seized and destroyed. Well, maybe they shouldn't have put the dog in that situation by getting it in the first place!

[jmscott]

The Pit Bull Terrier was breed to do exactly that; bait bulls in pit rings. Eventually they were bred for dog fighting, which is where their dog to dog aggression comes in. However, any dogs that were human aggressive were culled, which is why they make great family dogs. People don't understand that dog aggression does not equal human aggression, the same way that guardian breeds will kill predators but no the livestock or the other dogs guarding the herd.

This is a breed history on the pit bull:http://www.pitbull411.com/history.html

[Austinville]

But here's the thing, the Siberian Husky is already targeted. There are 8 apartment complexes in our area that will not allow Siberians to live on their property. In many states, you cannot get home insurance if you own a Siberian. My police officer friend has an eight year old Alaskan Klee Kai. When she was looking for an apartment and explained that she had an Alaskan Klee Kai she had to show a picture and was then called a liar and informed that her 8yo dog was a husky puppy. She was denied the apartment. And what are we supposed to do? Should we start having anti BSL rallies now before our breed is as hated and fear as the bully breeds? When will parents start pulling their child across the street so that they wont be attacked by the vicious husky? Should we change the name of this forum to the Siberian Husky Owners forum?

When I had Gunther I called him an American Terrier (American Pit Bull Terrier), and NEVER had a single person connect that to the term to pit bull and become unfriendly. Do we need to rename the breed the the Chukotka Sleddog?

Personally, I think we should make sure that when we talk about Siberian Huskies, we use the term Siberians or Sibs.

Precisely! It isn't a question of IF or WHEN.

What we can do is to educate people on the breed. Keep them out in the public eye. Respond to 'news' articles and television pieces which do not give true and proper information on the breed. And do so in an intelligent and responsible manner without letting anger get in the way. Get involved in BSL legislation wherever and whenever you can.

This forum, with 8,000 members, is doing a tremendous amount of help by our camps and other informational meetings, even things like the good turnout shown at the funeral and benefits for little Katy. It is those very positive things that we simply must keep doing.

My husky is a familiar face in the town I work in. She goes to community festivals, visits care centers, day cares, holiday events and even comes to work at least once a week with me. She's probably more recognizable that the mayor, to be honest. Each time we're out, I give information on the breed and this forum. I allow folks to pet her and interact with her.

That's the role she has been given.......and she loves it. I realize that not all huskies are capable of doing what Ryn does for various reasons. The thing is, if we allow BSL to include our breed without a fight, then the fault is our own.

[Paranormal Wolf]

Precisely! It isn't a question of IF or WHEN.

What we can do is to educate people on the breed. Keep them out in the public eye. Respond to 'news' articles and television pieces which do not give true and proper information on the breed. And do so in an intelligent and responsible manner without letting anger get in the way. Get involved in BSL legislation wherever and whenever you can.

This forum, with 8,000 members, is doing a tremendous amount of help by our camps and other informational meetings, even things like the good turnout shown at the funeral and benefits for little Katy. It is those very positive things that we simply must keep doing.

My husky is a familiar face in the town I work in. She goes to community festivals, visits care centers, day cares, holiday events and even comes to work at least once a week with me. She's probably more recognizable that the mayor, to be honest. Each time we're out, I give information on the breed and this forum. I allow folks to pet her and interact with her.

That's the role she has been given.......and she loves it. I realize that not all huskies are capable of doing what Ryn does for various reasons. The thing is, if we allow BSL to include our breed without a fight, then the fault is our own.

I'm so glad you have been pointing these things out. It is exactly what responsible pit bull owners and advocates need and have been doing as well. In order to combat negative breed stereotypes for any breed we need to just what has been said above. All responsible dog owners of all breeds need to come together and fight BSL before all dogs are target! BSL is an ongoing and growing issue and more and more breeds are targeted each day.