Article about the attack
Many editorials and comments have appeared pro and con. Some say the breed is to blame, some counter that it's not the dog, but the owner.
Push to ban breed
Popularity of breed
In defense of the breed
But certainly there are sweet pit bulls, just as there are "bad" dogs in other breeds, right?
What do you think? Should certain breeds be banned? Are Pit Bulls unfairly stereotyped?
Speaking of poodles, we all seem to fall victim to stereotyping. I know I do. I do have a certain fear of pit bulls. I have even attributed some pit bull-like tendencies to my new toy poodle, Tarquin, who likes to gnaw on me.
But poodles also fall prey to stereotyping, though in an almost polar opposite way to that of pit bulls. I am a poodle lover and over the years have owned and loved four miniature poodles and two toys, and yet whenever I talk about my love and admiration for this breed, I see people sticking up their noses and commenting, "They are yappy little dogs that piddle all over." This couldn't be further from the truth. Poodles are one of the smartest breeds and make wonderful companions. I have never had a yapping, piddling poodle. In fact, my Frederick is "all man."
Er, OK, they are fun to dress up.
To make an informed decision about both pit bulls and poodles, read more about them. Here are some library resources you might be interested in.
Read about Pit Bulls
Read about Poodles
4 comments:
Poodles are also a famously empathetic breed, described as being almost "human-like" in their ability to relate to and identify with their owners.
It is interesting how polarizing pit bulls are. Those who are against them are VERY much against them, while many pit bull lovers not only doggedly (pardon the pun!) defend their little loved ones, but actively campaign for pit bull rights.
Personally, I think the real problem is that human beings aren't screened at all before being allowed to have pets. I think people should have to register with some state organization or fill out some sort of application or review before they are allowed to potentially ruin the life of and abuse an innocent creature - or make them so nutty that they may hurt another human being. There should be some standards.
And yes, if we really want to get into it, I think there should be standards for PEOPLE who want to breed. It may sound a bit 1984, but it certainly couldn't hurt the gene pool. ;)
-Ashley
I agree with everything you say. When we were looking for a new dog, the breed that seemed to be most readily available in shelters was pit bull. Because we live in the city and frequently walk our dog or take him to dog parks, we did not want to be burdened with people feeling threatened by a pit bull/mix. It's very sad that they are often bred to be fighters. We have since found a great black lab/cattle dog named Oscar. His tendency to herd other dogs makes us more watchful, but that's what cattle dogs do. The opposing viewpoints on pit bulls will most likely continue to be discussed, but owners do bear responsibility in how dogs are trained and socialized.
I, too, love poodles and have had two in my family. While my "Cayenne" (like the pepper because she is a red head) likes to bark when she hears something around the perimeter of our house, I would not consider her to be yappy, just overly protective. She certainly is not a piddler! I also have found her to be incredibly smart and a wonderful companion. Poodles have a marvalous ability to express their feelings, much like a human.
As for pitballs, I try to keep an open mind but I have to admit they do scare me.
Poodles ARE smart dogs. I have a standard poodle mix and she's one of the most intelligent dogs I've ever owned or trained (I'm pretty sure the lab/pointer part doesn't provide the intelligence). The stereotype about poodles that I'm always trying to reverse is that they are "foofy" dogs from France. They are one of the original hunting dogs from Germany. I am, though, a fan of pit bulls. I know at least two pit mixes that are the sweetest dogs (and one of them was abandoned and abused as a puppy). With good training and a loving family he has become a very good dog.
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