I would first like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read my article entitled ‘The anti-pitbull breedist legislation’.
I extend my sincere gratitude for all the contributions made via sharing your comments and taking the time to fill in the poll.
I asked three questions and as promised, the results of the poll are posted below:
1. Do you own a pitbull or pitbull cross?
Poll results= YES: 24% NO: 74%
2. Do you think implementing this new law will help prevent future tragic incidents?
Poll results= YES: 11% NO: 89%
3. After reading this artilce, would you consider owning a pitbull or pitbull cross?
Poll results= YES: 63% NO: 37%
I actually tried to identify the pitbull on this link that one of my colleagues posted on my Facebook page and I struggled finding the pitbull. Yes I am a vet but by no means am I a dog breed expert. So again I pose the question how can we accurately identify a pitbull when the DNA tests available can’t confirm it and the average vet can’t even do it?
Check out this link for yourself to see if you can identify the pitbull:
Related articles
- The anti-pitbull breedist legislation (rayyathevet.com)
Dr Rayya's Online Veterinary Journal 
September 10, 2011 at 11:39 pm
There is a big difference between dog behavior and dog ability. Because a dog has the “ability” to do damage is not a good enough measure. As Rayya mentioned, there are little dogs that can also do damage and I have the scars to prove it. As a vet assistant, animal welfare education director and dog companion I can say pitbulls are one of the sweetest and most gentle dogs I’ve encountered. They are also strong and intelligent which is why in the wrong hands they can be dangerous. If you would like to learn more about pitbulls in a well written and factual way, I recommend The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant. It tells the story of Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring and how shockingly… Read the story 🙂
September 11, 2011 at 12:27 am
Thanks for your input janice…I will definitely be reading the book you recommended as should anyone who is afraid of pitbulls because of the media publicity!
September 11, 2011 at 12:32 am
I am not a vet or a person with vast knowledge of dogs and the behaviour of dogs. I am however an owner of five dogs, all Heinz 57 variety… so I am a dog lover without a doubt.
There are no bad dogs only bad owners
Now having said that, there are unscrupulous dealers who breed without any scruples at all and some , but not all. pit-bulls have been bred to be vicious. Their genes are not right they have the strains of aggressive dogs and so they get a bad reputation..
Stop the breeding..stop the secret breeders, People who want a dog should by from reputable breeders who have a good name ..or even better go to the local animal sanctuary and save a dohg’s life
September 11, 2011 at 12:46 pm
I totally agree with you. People should support the registered and reputable dog breeders. That is the only way we are going to phase out backyard and undrground puppy breeders. So many healthy unwanted pets could be saved every day…
January 13, 2012 at 2:44 am
I’ve done some research on the matter and was interested to find that pit-bulls were bred to be dog-aggressive. When the *sport* began and the potential of these dogs to become *good* fighters was noticed, dogs showing dog-aggression were bred while any dog showing human-aggression were put down. Understandably, the reason being the furtherance required dogs to be willing to fight dogs but respond to their masters. Because of their incredible loyalty, to keep a dog fighting the master need only stay within sight of his dog and demonstrate his desire at continuing the fight.
I would even hazzard a guess that among the unscrupulous breeders out there today that this breeding trend may still be in practice for many of the same reasons.
People who want a dog should go to a shelter until less than millions of dogs are euthanized each year.
January 13, 2012 at 11:34 pm
I wish people would do more research rather than take everything they hear at face value…I agree there are so many lovely abandoned pets that deserve to be given a loving forever home.
September 11, 2011 at 3:09 am
i’m so sorry that i failed with answering of your questions! i must have been enjoying a martini whilst reading your post! 🙂 haha! so, now, here are my answers:
1. Do you own a pitbull or pitbull cross?
NO. but, gwendolyn’s first boyfriend was a pitbull, and i will never forget the love that he gave to her! if you wish to view adorable pitbull puggle pictures, i can provide!
2. Do you think implementing this new law will help prevent future tragic incidents?
NO. i don’t think that veterinarians should accept the liability. i’m still awaiting my attorney friend’s response on this (he’s also the dad of the pitbull of subject). he must have experienced a busy week because he’s ALWAYS on his dog legal game!
3. After reading this artilce, would you consider owning a pitbull or pitbull cross?
yes. and it makes me elated that 63 percent of surveyors thinks affirmatively, too.
would you mother a pitbull, dr. rayya?
September 11, 2011 at 5:25 pm
Nicole thanks heaps for your input…I would mother a dog of any type…currently I have ro a staffy bull terrier cross that I am rehoming…my 2 dogs keep me busy enough and I always have a 3rd dog that I am fostering every now and then…:-)
September 11, 2011 at 8:23 am
There are no bad dogs, just stupid owners!!
September 11, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Do your cats support your love for dogs? 🙂 … Owners definitely play a huge role in how their dogs turn out…
September 11, 2011 at 8:53 am
It’s the owners who are dangerous, not the dogs,
September 11, 2011 at 5:37 pm
I do practice behavioral veterinary medicine and I must admit some dogs are born with neurochemical imbalances in the brain that can lead to anxiety and aggression and sometimes require medication to manage them…these pets are dangerous if not managed appropriately!!
September 11, 2011 at 1:58 pm
I love your blog, thank you for sharing all of your education, training and experience to help our beloved four legged friends.
September 13, 2011 at 11:12 pm
You are most welcome. It is amazing to be thanked for doing what I absolutely love doing 🙂
September 13, 2011 at 8:15 am
Howdy Doc –
Thanks for posting the results of the survey. I guess one of the things that surprise me is that 37% of these people would not consider owning a pit bull after reading the article. I would enjoy knowing which dog breed they would feel more comfortable with. Here in the U.S., we have the American Temperament Test where dogs are tested for different aspects of temperament such as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness as well as the dog’s instinct for protectiveness towards its handler and/or self-preservation in the face of a threat.
In that test – (a description can be found here), 804 American Pit Bull Terriers were tested with 109 failing. The American Staffordshire Terrier (essentially the same breed) , tested 627 with 99 dogs failing. Much of that fail percentage would be due to aggression issues. Now – for those that listen to the media garbage who know absolutely nothing about dogs or dog breeds, and are always touting what a wonderful child and family friendly dog a Labrador is — Out of 764 Golden Retrievers tested – 116 failed usually due to aggression issues, which is about the same percentage as Pitties
You can see the cumulative data on all the breeds at this website :: http://atts.org/breed-statistics/
Great Post !
September 13, 2011 at 11:24 pm
Howdy Cowboy 🙂
I really do enjoy you sharing the wealth of information you possess that is not just revolving around animals but the whole globe.
I recently attended a veterinary dog behavioural conference. We were discussing the high prevalence of anxiety disorders in the most popular breeds of dogs like golden retrievers and king charles spaniels. An interesting point brought up was that because they were popular breeds, the gene pool was getting narrower and that may be linked to the increased anxiety disorders.
Unfortunatley statistics don’t always accrue to a logical conclusion without appropriate studies especially with all the variables involved.
I will be definitely be posting lots of blogs about canine & feline behaviour because there are so many misconceptions out there that I need to address!
Take care.
September 28, 2011 at 11:38 pm
We have a pit bull ban in Ontario, Canada. It has been in effect for a few years. I don’t know a lot about the issue but agree with others that it is an owner problem, not a dog problem. Unfortunately, pit bulls are more likely to attract someone looking for a ‘macho’ sidekick and who treats his pet accordingly as opposed to families looking for a dog for the kids.
September 29, 2011 at 11:51 pm
Thank you for your comment…I wonder if there are real studies being done in Canada to see if there has been a reduction in dog attacks since the ban was installed…I personally doubt it but we will have to wait and see…