Breed Bias

7293 Views 79 Replies 29 Participants Last post by JohnnyBandit, Jul 4, 2012

CandJHarris

Discussion Starter · Jul 1, 2012

Part of my family is absolutely freaking out that we are keeping one of the pit bull puppies that we rescued a couple of weeks ago. My parents are the absolute worst. They buy into every myth they hear, and I couldn't help but laugh the other day when my mama kept going on and on about how "they all turn and when they bite you their jaws lock, blah, blah, blah..." We live next door to my parents, so I've made a point to take Scarlett with me pretty much every time I've been over there in the last week. I've made it my mission to change their minds. When I told my mom what my plan was, she kind of jokingly said that the first time she "growls or snaps" at someone she'd be reaching for her gun. When I asked her why she hadn't brought out the gun for my sister's little yappy mutt that bark, growl, and snaps at EVERYBODY, she shut it down.

We stopped by my sister's house today too (she lives on the other side of mom and dad) and was talking to my brother-in-law about Scarlett when he asked if she was a pit. When I said yes he kind of winced and said "Ooooh." I asked him why he responded that way he just said, "I just don't like them." So I asked him, "Have you ever met a real, live pit bull in person?" Of course his answer was no, but that he was afraid of them. It was the first honest answer I've heard out of anyone. So I assured him there would be no reason for him to be afraid of her, now or ever and asked that he at least give her a chance.

When we decided to keep Scarlett I knew there was going to be some challenges because of her breed, but it really bugs me that my family is so ignorant about the breed. I ask myself all the time how I ended up such an open minded person when the rest of my family is so prejudice.

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HollowHeaven

· #18 · Jul 1, 2012

As far as my family goes, if it's big, it's a pit, if it's brindle, it's a pit, if it's ears are cropped, it's a pit, and if it looks like it might bite you, it's a pit, and if it actually does bite someone it's a pit BULL and should be killed.

Being somebody that loves their look and their craziness, it's hard to live in a house full of nay-sayers, especially when I was caring for a APBT puppy which I had found (we did locate the owner). Despite the fact that Luna (actually called Mercedes :S ) was an absolute joy, not too many people would even touch her. The first thing out of my mom's mouth was "well, when she mauls you she's getting killed". Oh yes, this five month old puppy is surely gonna eat my heart out. Children would walk her and play with her, their parents loved her, then when they asked of her breed or recognized it, they all but called the police on me.

Living with a pit is a joy and also a great struggle. On the one hand you have a potentially wonderful dog and good opportunity to educate, but on the other you have to live day in and day out with the infuriating, and sometimes dangerous, ignorance and bias against your dog based solely on bullshit the media feeds and the way your dog looks.

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HollowHeaven

· #25 · Jul 1, 2012

megara said:
I never once used profanity in my post, and I hope that you can get your point across without having to resort to that too.

As for dogsbite.org, its pretty hard to be "noneducational" when they have references for every fact they say.

For me, using profanity is more natural than not using it. I didn't put it in there to get a point across or to show anger, so don't worry about it.

And anything that can't give information without bias is not a good source of information.

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HollowHeaven

· #26 · Jul 1, 2012

megara said:
I don't want to start a fight on here, and I can tell that my point of view certainly wont be very popular on this forum.

Also I am not meaning to offend pitbull owners. I do not blame the dog, I blame the human that bred him that way.

But you don't seem to understand that they're just dogs. ANY dog is capable of biting and harming.
Most of the dogs I've personally been bitten by, been threatened by or had my pets threatened by or attacked by have been Collies, Golden Retrievers, Labs, Poodles and chihuahuas. I've never once had a rottweiler, pit, mastiff, etcetc, or any other breed on that site so much as look at me cross eyed.
Any INDIVIDUAL DOG is capable of harming people. If you don't blame the dogs, then why are you speaking out against them as a whole?

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