Prejudice against pit bulls

[howldaloom]

Ok im confused now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull This is a link on pit bulls.

A pit bull is a word to describe a certain group of dogs who share similar charectoristics right?

Well in the uk pit bulls are banned and any found are put down asap.

Well what about the other breeds on the list as they are all considered pit bulls? So does a dog just have to look a certain way no matter what its history or bloodline to be red flagged?

I dont understand? whats considered an illegal pit bull? A staffy is a pit bull as well?

[Jake2006]

I found this which may be helpful - but there is much more on the following site which you may like to look at

Useful information on Pitbull Terrier Law
05-Jan-07

Advice from www.doglaw.co.uk concerning Pit Bull Terrier Type dogs






Q. Can a pit bull type dog ever be lawfully owned
A. Owners were given a short period of time to have their dogs registered onto the Index of Exempted Dogs, but this form of voluntary registration ended in 1991. Since 1997 the law has been slightly relaxed, so that if an owner is prosecuted for possession of an unregistered pit bull type dog the Court may allow the dog to be registered (and all of the other conditions must be complied with) but only if the owner can prove that the dog would not constitute a danger to public safety. If this cannot be proven then the Court must order that the dog be destroyed.

Q. What are the conditions of owning a pit bull type apart from having the dog registered
A. The dog has to be neutered, microchipped, tattooed and insured. Also, no person shall:
Breed, or breed from, the dog
Sell or exchange the dog or offer, advertise or expose the dog for sale or exchange
Make or offer to make a gift of the dog or advertise or expose the dog as a gift
Allow the dog to be in a public place without being muzzled and kept on a lead
Abandon the dog or allow it to stray

Q. What would happen if any of the conditions are breached after a dog has been registered
A. It is a criminal offence and in addition to penalties for the Defendant there is a presumption that the dog shall be destroyed

Q. What is a pit bull terrier type dog
A. Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 relates to dogs of the type known as the pit bull terrier. The High Court has decided that for a dog to be a pit bull type, it must have a substantial number of the physical characteristics of a pit bull terrier. These characteristics are listed in a number of places, and probably the most comprehensive (and that generally relied on by Courts) is the American Dog Breeders Association’s Basis of Conformation for the American Pit Bull Terrier. This is a functional standard which describes the ideal, and so the dog does not have to conform in every detail to be regarded as a pit bull type. DEFRA has produced guidance which summarises some of the main physical aspects of a pit bull terrier (see ‘DEFRA guidance on prohibited dogs’ which can be accessed via the links page on this site)Q. But I have a dog with a nice temperament. Surely this can’t be regarded as a pit bull type
A. The High Court has ruled that the behaviour of a dog is relevant but not conclusive when determining whether a dog is a pit bull type

Q. Surely there is a DNA test that can be used
A. Not at present. In any event, the legal test is predominantly on the basis of physical conformation so it isn’t just about the breeding but is about what the dog looks like.

Q. Doesn’t the law just apply to pure bred pit bulls
A. No. Cross-breeds and mongrels could be regarded as pit bull types depending on their physical conformation

[staffilover]

Ok im confused now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull This is a link on pit bulls.

A pit bull is a word to describe a certain group of dogs who share similar charectoristics right?

Well in the uk pit bulls are banned and any found are put down asap.

Well what about the other breeds on the list as they are all considered pit bulls? So does a dog just have to look a certain way no matter what its history or bloodline to be red flagged?

I dont understand? whats considered an illegal pit bull? A staffy is a pit bull as well?

in simple terms this is what the law deems as pit type:

ears folded forward or sideways

muzzle not pointed

broad wedge shaped skull

straight solid front legs

broad deep ribcage

well muscled thigh

long hind legs

tail - low down in hind quaters hangs like "pump handle"

short single smooth coat (http://thepitstop.freeforums.org/pit-type-explained-uk-t285.html#)

height 45 - 55 cms

even if the dog has no "pit" what so ever in it, if it fits this description it could be classed as "pit type" (eg) staff crossed with lab or boxer crossed with lab. or simply a large staff.

[April]

In Australia most dog attacks are attributed to "pit bulls" or their mixes. They are banned from import & are one of the breeds on the bsl list. I think they want to have the existing ones temperament (or anything they think looks like a pit mix) tested to see if they are safe.

[Kyllobernese]

In the Province of Ontario, Canada, Pit bulls are banned. You cannot even drive through the province with a Pit bull in your car. If you get stopped they can be seized and destoyed. The exceptions are if you are showing your dog in a Dog Show of some type. I think it is the only Province that has such a strict law. Unfortunately it is the bad dog owner that makes this type of dog get such a bad reputation. At our obedience class last week, a man brought a Staffordshire bull terrier for the first time. The dog was wearing a prong collar and everytime a dog came near it would go absolutely insane, leaping and lunging at the other dog and screaming the whole time. It was an adult female and obviously was very dog aggressive. It was not going after people but if it had gotten loose, somebody's dog would have been dead and probably a lot of people bitten getting them separated. It is this sort of thing that makes people so aware of that type of dog. If it was a lab or some other type of dog, it may get loose and go after another dog but not with the intensity of a pit bull type dog.

[Kyllobernese]

correction to my post. It was an American Staffordshire Terrier but still a "pit bull" type.

[staffilover]

as you can see pitbull predudice exists everywhere:rolleyes:

[staffilover]

In the Province of Ontario, Canada, Pit bulls are banned. You cannot even drive through the province with a Pit bull in your car. If you get stopped they can be seized and destoyed. The exceptions are if you are showing your dog in a Dog Show of some type. I think it is the only Province that has such a strict law. Unfortunately it is the bad dog owner that makes this type of dog get such a bad reputation. At our obedience class last week, a man brought a Staffordshire bull terrier for the first time. The dog was wearing a prong collar and everytime a dog came near it would go absolutely insane, leaping and lunging at the other dog and screaming the whole time. It was an adult female and obviously was very dog aggressive. It was not going after people but if it had gotten loose, somebody's dog would have been dead and probably a lot of people bitten getting them separated. It is this sort of thing that makes people so aware of that type of dog. If it was a lab or some other type of dog, it may get loose and go after another dog but not with the intensity of a pit bull type dog.

that was one dog... and there are other dogs that would go after another dog..my late mongrel ziggy for one. you say its the bad owners, which is correct... are you saying the man who took his dog to obiedience class was a bad owner?

[Kyllobernese]

I am not saying that particular owner was a bad owner as I do not know the circumstances of his dog, maybe he just got it. I was just saying that if a person gets any type of big dog that they need to be aware that they need to socialize the dog with other dogs and people. Unfortunately it seems that the people who do the least with their dogs and just want a scary looking dog, seem to get the pit bull types of dogs.

[indie_girl]

I was walking me border collie cross indie in our local park when i came across a man who was probably suffering from a mental illness and kept telling me the same story about a young girl whose dog was attacked by a pitt-bull.

apparently he heard screaming and went to see what the problem was and there was a 13-14 year old girl holding her puppy and a pitt bull was latched firmly onto its tail - its jaws were locked and it would not let go. the man kicked but it did not stop. Both dogs died.

it was a truly shocking gruesome tale and i am still slightly shaken by the story, even more so since it was told to me about 10 times!

reading this thread reminded me of it, the man said that there was no owner in sight but the dog had a chocker collar on.

it shows that there are some very irresponsible dog owners out there that ruin others owning well behaved pitt bulls because of their actions.

[applesmom]

that was one dog... and there are other dogs that would go after another dog..my late mongrel ziggy for one. you say its the bad owners, which is correct... are you saying the man who took his dog to obiedience class was a bad owner?

He probably wasn't deliberately a bad owner. But the chances are pretty good that he wasn't the right owner for that particular dog. If he was, the dog would have been well socialized as a puppy.

[staffilover]

I am not saying that particular owner was a bad owner as I do not know the circumstances of his dog

then why point him out?
it may have been a rescue, and he was doing the right thing by taking him to obeidience classes.

[staffilover]

just one example of pitbull prejudice. at the top of the forum, there is a banner regarding dog aggression..what breed does it show?






















thats right a pitbull..

[Jake2006]

I don't know whether this is the right place to post this article - if it isn't perhaps one of the Mods will divert it -

Kennel Club to train up Pit Bull Identification experts in just four hours

The Kennel Club, despite its cries of “Deed Not Breed” are planning to create a panel of “experts” trained to identify pit bull type dogs. I use the term “experts” lightly because these particular “experts” will attend a course just FOUR hours long.

http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/339/want-to-send-a-dog-to-its-death-get-qualified-to-do-so-in-240-minutes/