http://thek9guy.com/dog_blog/blog1.php?disp=comments en-US http://backend.userland.com/rss 60 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:23:56 +0000 guy k. [Member] c23@http://thek9guy.com/dog_blog/ Faith;<br /> <br /> Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. You make some great points, and help define my concept of a responsible owner. Boundaries are an absolutely essential part of a healthy relationship with any dog, as is regular work and training.<br /> <br /> Guy
Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. You make some great points, and help define my concept of a responsible owner. Boundaries are an absolutely essential part of a healthy relationship with any dog, as is regular work and training.

Guy]]> http://thek9guy.com/dog_blog/blog1.php/2008/07/09/pit-bull-updates#c23 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:45:13 +0000 Faith [Visitor] c22@http://thek9guy.com/dog_blog/ I am an owner of two beloved pit bulls; Zoe, a 3yr old American Pit bull terrier and Zack, a 4yr old American Staffordshire x Dogo. Since rescuing Zoe 3yrs ago I have been forced into the role of pit bull advocate as I have to defend my dogs in some manner on a daily basis. I would like to applaud you on a well written post that addresses the fact that any breed of dog can be a danger to our communities when not properly cared for, either due to negligence or ignorance. <br /> Throughout history it has been proved, time and time again, that people fear what they do not understand or know. I have met numerous people who fear 'pit bulls' based on media reporting, but adore my dogs. I have heard stereotypes judging all pit bull owners as thugs, gang bangers, drug dealers and the like, and feel like I must hand out my biography to people I meet to defend my dogs and myself because we are not these people. My husband and I are not criminals because we love a particular breed of dog that just happens to be despised by many in our society today due to ignorance. We love our dogs because they are fun, active, loyal, adore everyone and make us laugh. We love our dogs as they are the children we do not have. We do not chain or tether our dogs, but they reside in my home as children would. We feed them the best, because we love them. We teach them boundaries because we love them and ALL dogs need them. We spend hours each week training them to ensure they are conditioned to different environments, people and animals, so they do not need to fear new situations. Both of my dogs have passed advanced obedience classes, with my Zoe completing agility and earning her CGC (Canine Good Citizen title). My husband has a Ph.d in Robotics and currently works for Google and I work for an Architect firm and am studying a Psychology degree part time. This may not sound typical for those who judge pit bull owners, but it is A typical for the majority of pit bull owners who never make the news. I have volunteered with the Seattle Police Dept. and with the City of Seattle Municipal courts and I can tell you that any person with a criminal history will not pass the rigorous background checks. <br /> Dog attacks occur every day by every breed of dog. It is an injustice to responsible pit bull owners to outlaw a breed based on the negligent actions of the few bad owners. I can attest that irresponsible owners come in all shapes and sizes, from all cultures, and own all breeds of dogs. Punishing irresponsible owners is the only way we can ensure people within our communities are safe.<br /> Throughout history it has been proved, time and time again, that people fear what they do not understand or know. I have met numerous people who fear 'pit bulls' based on media reporting, but adore my dogs. I have heard stereotypes judging all pit bull owners as thugs, gang bangers, drug dealers and the like, and feel like I must hand out my biography to people I meet to defend my dogs and myself because we are not these people. My husband and I are not criminals because we love a particular breed of dog that just happens to be despised by many in our society today due to ignorance. We love our dogs because they are fun, active, loyal, adore everyone and make us laugh. We love our dogs as they are the children we do not have. We do not chain or tether our dogs, but they reside in my home as children would. We feed them the best, because we love them. We teach them boundaries because we love them and ALL dogs need them. We spend hours each week training them to ensure they are conditioned to different environments, people and animals, so they do not need to fear new situations. Both of my dogs have passed advanced obedience classes, with my Zoe completing agility and earning her CGC (Canine Good Citizen title). My husband has a Ph.d in Robotics and currently works for Google and I work for an Architect firm and am studying a Psychology degree part time. This may not sound typical for those who judge pit bull owners, but it is A typical for the majority of pit bull owners who never make the news. I have volunteered with the Seattle Police Dept. and with the City of Seattle Municipal courts and I can tell you that any person with a criminal history will not pass the rigorous background checks.
Dog attacks occur every day by every breed of dog. It is an injustice to responsible pit bull owners to outlaw a breed based on the negligent actions of the few bad owners. I can attest that irresponsible owners come in all shapes and sizes, from all cultures, and own all breeds of dogs. Punishing irresponsible owners is the only way we can ensure people within our communities are safe.
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