Ohio Pit Bull Ban Updates

I've received a fair number of emails and telephone calls over the past weeks regarding Ohio's proposed Pit Bull legislation. This is no doubt due to several posts I've made on the subject (do a search for Pit Bull in the box to your right). Because of the responses, I thought it might be a good time to revisit this issue.

Many seem to feel I'm a Pit Bull advocate for having spoken against this ill-advised breed specific legislation (House Bill 568) here in Ohio. The reason the issue disturbs me is not related to any feelings I have regarding Pit Bulls - I take each dog one at a time rather by breed. This issue disturbs me because the singling out of ANY specific breed by a legislative or governmental body is nothing more than a knee jerk reaction meant to look like something's being done. In reality, communities that have tried such approaches have had poor results.

For those owners out there wanting to know what's going on with House Bill 568, from my sources it's not moving forward very fast. The House is presently out of session and the Bill did not get any additional sponsorship. These are generally signs that it will stall and fail this year. But that doesn't mean it won't be back at some point in the future. It's critical that Pit Bull owners (and all dog owners) monitor these situations, while remembering elected officials who suggest such legislation work for us. Let them know your feelings with your letters, calls and votes. Help build awareness among other dog owners you know as well.

In the meantime, I'd like to share a response I received earlier this week on the Pit Bull topic (from a previous post). I do this not to put anyone on the spot, but to offer what are likely typical viewpoints among the general population. I'll also share my reply to point out, perhaps, a broader interpretation that might be helpful.

This comment was submitted regarding a proposed Pit Bull ban in a northern Ohio community....

Comment from [Visitor]
This topic didn't really affect me until Thursday, July 3, 2008 when I got a call at work from my aunt saying that my 13 year old son was bitten by a dog. He was riding his bike to the corner to get a donut and rode past a lady walking her dog. He rode past her and he said he felt something scratch his leg. He didn't stop but kept riding until he felt the blood running down his leg. He then looked at his leg and saw the blood. He rode home and told his aunt that he was just bit by a dog. My fiance and son tried to find the house where the lady was walking her dog and found it. He reported it to the animal warden and gave the address. The warden went to the home and determined that the dog that bit my son was a pitbull. I took my son to the emergency room. He was terrified he was going to have to get a shot. Because the bite was deep, they do not stitch dog bites because they do not want to trap any bacteria in the punture. So, now my son has a hole in his leg along with the pain from the bite, missing his opportunity to be in the 4th of July parade, missing baseball games and not being able to swim until this bite heals. I spoke to the owner and she seemed very nice. Which in turn, makes me believe that it doesn't matter what kind of owner these dogs have. This dog was not provoked by any means.

And my response....

Sorry to hear about your son's bite. Your comments left me feeling a need to respond.

You state your son was the victim of an unprovoked attack - and you seem to be blaming the breed. As a trainer, I have a bit of a different view on this incident. Please understand I didn't see the incident (and neither did you), so all I can do is offer what would be some of my thoughts in such cases.

When I speak at times of owner responsibility, I'm referring to owners who work daily to have a well behaved dog. This requires an owner to understand their dog, and to create a healthy relationship built on mutual respect. A responsible owner will be supervising their dog closely in unusual circumstances (such as a child on a bike coming nearby). In your case, even though the owner of this dog was "nice", it has nothing to do with whether she was responsible. Was she supervising her dog thoroughly? Does the dog have a history of nipping or biting, and if so, did she seek previous professional help to correct the problem? Did she offer to pay for your child's medical expenses if the dog was truly at fault?

Also, for parents, I take issue with the thought of an unprovoked attack. A child on a bike (moving quickly near a dog) can be perceived as a threat by even well adjusted dogs. It's important for parents to teach their children proper etiquette around animals, especially those they do not know. A child close enough to be bitten would raise my suspicion that the dog actually may have felt threatened - regardless of the child's intentions. In such cases, it's simply unfair to blame the animal alone.

I'm not trying to downplay the seriousness of this situation. But we see stories daily in the press regarding vicious dogs. I'm only trying to point out "unprovoked" attacks often aren't, and nice owners don't equal responsible owners.

Given that this dog did bite, a visit from a professional that deals with these problems is highly recommended, as is counseling and education for the child so a similar incident doesn't occur. Yes, the dog may have some issues, but it's not breed specific and the humans in this equation have a responsibility as well.