Giovanni777 said:

When Erin uses the word "retarded," I'm assuming she means it in the truest sense of the word. That is, due to excessive, intentional in-breeding, etc., perhaps the breed's disposition has become stilted or subject to certain emotional or cognitive quirks due to genetic anomolies. I think she's simply suggesting we undergo some measure to research and counter that.

I don't know if this is true or a crock of BS, but I think that's what I hear her saying. And I've heard it suggested from others who know a lot more about dogs than I do.
[Edited 10/10/07 15:04pm]

Lammastide said:

I should probably learn to speak like an adult. That might help.

DanceWme said:

hey now...you can't be threatening the gels and stuff.....thems fightin' words....(don't worry dawg...I gotcha back!!!)

We live in a society where competition and ultimate victory are cornerstones....everything from the office to the playgrounds is divvied up between winners and losers.....its a fact....you have people racing cockroaches for Crice sake...eating 65 hot dogs so that they can be crowned a champion of something, no matter how pointless or retarded....breeding dogs and roosters to fight, to me, is a microcosm of our world as a whole...instead of trying to help others we fuck over them instead...the weak get trampled by the strong and we laud them for it....man is dominant over dog, so dog fights for our entertainment at great personal pain...you want to see humans "dog"fighting? Go to or watch a UFC match...

...a longwinded, soapbox way of saying banning the breed won't do shit to change the overall mindset....because we all know that there will just be another breed of dog trained to fight....and in a world where atrocities occur damned near by the minute, somehow or another I get the feeling that dog fighting won't be an issue again until some other celeb gets busted doing it...

People who like these dogs need to get on every owner of pit bulls as a whole to be responsible owners/breeders and stop allowing them to ruin it for everyone, if they really care about the breed and the saftey of people.
Im certain that the owner of these two said the same great things about pit bulls. Im certain all irrresponsible owners parrot the same great things as responsible owners do. It seems the out come will ultimately lie in the hands of the responsible owners and what they do to stop irresponsible ownership from ruining it for everyone.

horatio said:

THeres a point where that system isn't enough though.

I mean, using GHB is actually a beneficial supplement, but folks abused it as a date drug, and it got banned.

Does anyone have any official figures on dog attacks and which breeds are the biggest offenders? I believe the last time I saw one Pitbulls were #1, far ahead of the next 2 breeds.

I'm not saying nature vs. nurture DOESN'T take place. Certainly it does. But just how many folks out there nurture even their own kids, let alone some animal.

I think there needs to be special licensing for pitbulls and perhaps some other breeds.

It would be a good thing if owners had to take approved handling classes that are specific to the needs of the breed.

Maybe there could be requirements for the dogs to pass behavior tests before their license is renewed every year.

Laws for muzzles in public wouldn't be bad for any breed.

There should be stiff penalties for any owners that disobey the laws plus forfiture of the animal for a second offense.

shellyevon said:

that is how it is in the UK.. i had to go to court and prove i was a responsible owner, the police had to attend a provide a character reference.

i was issued with a certificate and had to get public liability insurance and the dog has to be muzzled in public and on a leash..

eraclito said:

It's a hard situation, sometimes a responsible owner like yourself will get caught up in the red tape but that's preferable to having whole breeds of dogs done away with because people can't take ownership seriously.
Can we legislate responsibility? Perhaps.
I am glad you have your dog back, he's beautiful.

It's just like anything else: before I met Nikko, I didn't see the appeal in pit bulls. All I knew of them were that people who had them either were using them as protection, or show. Their appearance and reputation were not appealing in any way.

THEN, I met my little guy and I cannot believe how wrong I was. I KNOW that pits require more than the most active, intelligent breed out there, because of how sensitive and emotional he gets. You can't just leave the house without him getting extremely upset. You have to talk him down, give him a treat, make him aware you're coming back. That kind of dog is NOT for everyone. I personally don't have the time for a dog like that. And I know that if Nikko were in a non-nurturing home, he'd be pretty wound-up and emotionally damaged. It's like having a kid, it really is. He becomes very attached, and goes almost everywhere with my stepbrother. But amidst the anxiety, the boy is gentle, loving, and harmless, because he is SHOWN love. If he wasn't, I doubt he'd be safe.

Even though he IS safe to be around, he's very strong, and has a killer whip of a tail. There's no way anybody would leave him around kids or small animals alone. It's a SPECIALTY breed which requires SPECIAL care. Most owners don't understand that, and it needs to be widely known. They don't just lie around the house. They follow you everywhere, and they're curious about everything and must be involved. Neglect that and you're creating a monster. The human responsiblity is the bottom line.