Editors Corner:
Breed Specific Legislation
Date: January 16th 2006
From: Jason Mann - Senior Editor
Breed Specific Legislation is sweeping the nation and if responsible Pit Bull owners do not take a stance right now we are going to be facing an even greater struggle.
Those who support breed bans do so for one reason and one reason only...
...fear.
With fear comes irrational behavior, with irrational behavior comes laws that snuff out the lives of innoncent dogs and break the hearts of law abiding owners.
In all of this BSL banter from both sides, I always come back to one thought. Why is it fair for them to make a law that says I have to move or give up my Pit Bull companion? I never come up with a good answer because it's obviously not fair.
It's not fair for you, for me, or anyone responsible Pit Bull lover anywhere.
Breed Specific Legislation goes deeper than banning or restricting a breed of dog in my opinion. BSL strikes at the very cord of my right to live my life the way I see fit and to share that life with any companion animal I see fit to share it with.
I know it's not the most elegant way of fighting back, but I want to say, "What gives you the right, Mr./Mrs./Ms. non APBT owner to tell me what kind of dog I can and can not have on my own property, in my own house, and in my life I've worked daily to build?"
Personally, it boils my blood to think of this. And no, it's not because I am against laws or against the government, or think we have the right to run rough shot and do as we please.
Rather, it's because I work daily to build my life and I have a right to enjoy that life without meddling from fearful people who are biased and don't care who they hurt or what dogs die. As long as they can sleep easy at night thinking they did something to save the world.
Right now is the time to act.
Whatever action that is, writing a letter, offering an alternative law or volunteering to help enforce current laws, whatever action you take, right now is the time to take that action.
A site I highly recommend you visit is America Against BSL. There you will find helpful, facted based information to get you started.
We may fall, we may even fail, but if we do not fight, our defeat is certain. Take action right now and help our breed survive the igornance.
Best Regards,
Jason Mann - Senior Editor and Publisher
Kids and Pits: Playing with Fire or What's all the Fuss?
Kids and Pits are always an interesting topic and you'll receive a lot of opinions for both Pit Bull owners and non-Pit Bull owners about the "right" way to allow children and Pit Bulls (or dogs) to interact.
I received a question about this subject last week and after thinking about it for a bit I decided it would make a good topic for the Gazette because a lot of people who have kids or are thinking about having kids should have this information.
Keeping kids safe around dogs is not always the easiest thing to do. After all, both dog and child are sometimes hard to get a handle on.
The following tips will help you have a better understanding of what can present a problem and what won't.
Keeping Kids Safe around Dogs Tip Sheet
1.) Never let your child stare a dog down or otherwise gaze at them intently. This is a sign of challenge to a dog and since kids are on their level, they are more willing to accept this challenge.
2.) Never let your child poke the dog in the face, pull the dogs tail, or grab their side. The last two are signs of aggression in dogs and a lot of fights start with dogs brushing up against each other side by side. By grabbing or petting aggressively on the side the dog may consider this a challenge.
3.) Never have your toddler crawling around on the ground around your dog while they have toys, chewables, or other items that might be considered prized items by the dog. This will ensure you avoid any reactions from a dog that is toy/food/item possesive.
4.) Never allow children to sneak up on a dog while it's eating or resting. They could startle the dog and this may cause a nip reaction. It doesn't take much to harm a child.
5.) Always, let me repeat that, always supervise children under the age of 12 with your dog.
6.) For older kids, they should not be allowed to walk the dog alone. This will ensure that you have the ability to stop any accidental fighting, or other unfavorable things that could occur on walks.
7.) Never feed your child while the dog is around. This is a pack order thing. Your child should get food first and the dog should not be around to beg or otherwise pester you and your kid for the food.
8.) Teach kids how to use obedience commands with your dog to build a relationship and a bond with the dog early on.
9.) Never allow your kids to sleep with puppies. This is a puppy safety measure, they could roll over and smother the little pup in the night.
10.) Always teach your kids to NEVER approach strange dogs that are loose, chained, or dogs they have never met before. This one alone is the cause of a lot of children being bitten.
When it comes to kids and pits, common sense and good old fashion parenting come into play. Teaching how to interact with dogs from an early age goes a long way to helping them avoid any bites or otherwise harmful situations that can occur around dogs.
Project Pit BullTM
Understanding Canine Behavior 101
Welcome to Project Pit BullTM. I started this project in the hopes that it will expand and help hundreds of thousands of Pit Bull owners around the world start to understand why their Pit Bulls act the way they do and as it's main function to raise $1,000,000 (Yes, that's one million) dollars for Pit Bull rescues and Pit Bull advocacy (more on this later).
For now, let's dig into basic canine behavior.
Are Dogs Wolves?
No. It was believed they could have been from foxes, wild African dogs, or Coyotes. However, DNA tests and a load of research finally put the nail in that coffin and proved that yes, the domesticated dog or Canis lupus familiaris is related to the Wolf (Canis lupus).
Armed with this basic knowledge we can start to really get a hold of how dogs operate on a behavior level. Dogs are creatures of habit, they are also roaming animals (as Wolves roam their territory in the wild), and man has honed dogs into specific breeds that have specific traits that are stronger and more precise in some breeds.
The American Pit Bull Terrier's forte is gripping.
Great at gripping they are also built for stamina. If you look at your dogs chest you'll notice that it slopes down and then sharply goes into the belly area. Take a look at a Whippet or GreyHounds chest and you'll see much the same design. It's designed to give the dogs lungs more room to expand and bring in more air.
Stamina is critical in the APBT. As is gripping ability.
Let's get back to the behavior though...
Pit Bulls are Animals First
Animals, have needs, if these needs are not filled, they animal becomes frustrated, bored, and starts to establish problem behaviors. This is the most important aspect of having a Pit Bull in your life right here. Nothing is more important than understanding this one facet.
We must first serve the animal and quench their needs before we can have a healthy relationship with them.
If you've emailed me about exercise or a problem behavior you know that my answer is usually a question, "How much do you walk them on a daily basis?"
I ask this because, as I said above, dogs are roaming animals and their intincts tell them to roam their territory on a daily basis. This means long, brisk walks, every single day.
This alone will help stop most behavior problems from developing. I've noticed in my own dogs that if they start acting up like barking more or becoming restless, after a good walk, they are quiet and they rest for longer periods of time without fussing.
Another example of how exercise (serving their need to move daily) was Honey's jumping and constant licking.
For 10 days I tripled our walking distance and I noticed a dramatic change in her personality. She wasn't as hyper, she wasn't licking as much, and she all but stopped jumping on people when they came over to the house. That and a little training stopped the behavior from becoming a serious nuisance to my guests.
Pit Bulls are Dogs Second
Now that we have dealt with the animal (food, water, exercise) we can deal with the dog. Dogs are animals that like to pack up and more importantly, follow a strong, confident leader.
If you think about it, how many Alpha's are in a wolf pack? The answer is two. How many Wolf packs are there? Well, if you consider the past, thousands of them. Some of them as large as 20 Wolves. So that's 2 leaders for every 20 followers on the average. In short, 99% of the dogs we call pets are born followers.
Behavior problems and other situations can easily get out of hand if the leadership role is out of balance. If the dog is unsure of who is the leader they will, by instinct, start to assume this role and that's where the problems start.
Leadership is not forceful dominance or aggressive enforcement of unfair rules though. Leadership to a dog is subtle. Little things like you eating first and then feeding them at a set time establish to the dog that they are the follower.
Other subtle things that single to the dog they are the follower and not the leader are:
- Not allowing them on furniture. I know this one is kind of hard, I don't really follow it myself, but my dogs are allowed and given permission to get on furniture. In other words, they wait until they are told. If they are not told, they lie down on the floor.
- Feeding puppies by hand. This shows the dog you are in control of their food supply. Which tells them they must follow to get fed or they dont get fed.
- Walking with confidence and direction. For loose leash walking this is critical. But it goes beyond that. It shows the dog you are the leader and again, they must follow or they are left behind.
These are only three things out of dozens that establish a person as the leader and the dog as the follower. The main thing to remember here is that without clear, fair, and consistent enforcement of rules, the dog will start to question your ability to lead.
Pit Bulls as Pit Bulls
Now we come to what makes the American Pit Bull Terrier tick. We have fulfilled their animal and dog needs, now we must address their specific breed needs. This comes in the form of knowing their development and tasks that honed them to the dogs they are today.
American Pit Bull Terrier's have traits that are unique to them and other bullies as well.
These traits are:
- Gripping ability. They love to grab and hold things. This makes them impressive working dogs and fits their original purpose of bringing down bulls for butchers.
- Fighting dogs. They welcome fights and they welcome challenges from larger animals as well as their own. This translates into working through a task regardless of the odds. They will fight in a pit until their last breath, hang from a bulls nose until crushed, run through barbwire searching for a lost child, or sniff for the remains of the dead with a fire no other breed carries. This is a direct result of people honing their drives for challenges. Be it combat or finding a lost person.
- Intelligence. They are smart. No two ways to go about it. They can think their way through things and this translates into making positive training a great way to train them.
- High Energy. We know that dogs are roaming animals. However, some are designed for stamina over short and long periods of time. The Pit Bull Terrier is built for long, tough, exercise and as I mentioned above, their chest cavity and lungs are designed to provide maximum wind under extreme stress.
Fights that lasted 3-6 hours have been recorded in history. Imagine fighting a boxing match for 3 hours. Needless to say you better be built for stamina.
- Speed. They are built to run too. A correct Pit Bull can flat out motor when in a full speed ahead run for game, a ball, or on the recall.
In order to run down a bull and grab it you had to have speed.
- Pain Tolerance. Out of all the traits of the APBT I think this one causes the most myths to occur. Like my favorite, "Bullets bounce off of them!" Errr, not likely. But their pain tolerance no doubt created this myth.
In an old story I read one time a man chopped off the paws of his dog and set it on a bull to prove it's grit. The dog brought down the bull, but I think it bled to death shortly afterwords. Disgusting, yes, but it's one story in a long line of many that prove these dogs have an amazing tolerance to pain.
After all, you would need to be able to take a hit and keep going in a fight or grabbing a bull by the nose. My vet is still impressed with the girls and their shots.
Honey had a cist cut out of her neck on the spot one day. No pain killer, no novacaine, nothing. She didn't whimper or cry, she did try to get away, but she didn't so much as growl at the vet. Now that's grit. By the way, it had to be done and it took bout 60 seconds to totally remove the cist.
- Loyalty. I don't know if this is an offical trait of the APBT, but I'm including here because I have yet to find a breed of dog with such attention to their people. They thrive on attention and relish every moment with us like it was their last. You can not fault them for this. I admire this trait and wish a lot of people I know would learn from it and share it.
Pit Bulls and Living Life with Them
From a basic behavior standpoint, if you serve their basic needs, then pay attention to their canine needs, then hone and work their breed needs, you will find that both you and your dog have a longer, happier, fulfilling life together.
Before I end this, I would like to ask you of one favor. Savor every moment you have with them and cherish them for the loving companions they are. For without the American Pit Bull Terrier this man wouldn't be complete.
Pit Bull Training Tip of the Month:
Teaching a Release Cue
One important cue you can teach your dog is the release cue. Using a release cue tells the dog that they are no longer expected to do anything and makes it clear that the behavior is over.
Two types of release cues can be used.
(A) Releasing them from the behavior for good. Example, You ask your dog to sit, she sits, yes! reward, okay play! This cue is telling the dog they can leave the area and go do whatever they want.
(B) Releasing them from the behavior but not the situation. In this case you ask your dog to sit, she sits, Yes! Praise, okay! Your dog walks over to you and awaits the next cue. This cue tells your dog, great, you did wonderful, come here so I can pet you but it's not over yet.
Why teach a release cue at all?
Using a release cue creates a beginning and an end to all behaviors. Having a beginning and end to the behavior will allow you to string behaviors together easier and it will convey what you want to your dog. If you ask them to do 3 things in a row, they won't break on cue #2 because they have been taught they are only allowed to break when released using a release cue.
It also helps build behaviors one step at time. Instead of trying to teach your dog "go to bed" all in one session you can teach them to down, then release them, then down stay for 30 seconds, then release them. The release lets you know when the behavior is over too. This is important when building behaviors.
Teaching a Release Cue
For this article I'll share the basics. I share the entire sequence in The Pit Bull Training Handbook. For now let's cover the basic concept.
Teaching the release cue is fairly simple. When you want to let your dog go, put a word to it. Sally Sit!, Good Girl! Okay! <--- that's your release cue.
When you say the word, "okay!" you want to pat your legs and encourage your dog to come to you. When they do, pet them and praise them a little bit more. Don't go to far with it, but make sure they understand that Okay, pat, pat, means some loving from you.
After a few dozen repetitions of this patting your legs after you say okay. Take the patting away and only say, "Okay." If htey come to you, outstanding, reinforce it with petting and encouragment. If they don't, return to patting your legs another 30-50 times and then test him again.
For the "you can do whatever you want" release cue I started by saying FREE! and waving my hands. Yes, I looked a little funny, but I was having my dogs off, go play! That was what I was trying to tell them. It took me about 100 times to of waving my hands to get them to run off when I say the word, "FREE!"
And finally, the release cue is important because it's a stress release for your dog. When you give the "Okay!" or "FREE!" Or "Alrighty then!" or whatever word you use for the cue, the stress of having to do obedience is immediately released and they show it too.
Teach your dog a release cue and when you give it, watch as they hop to attention and the stress melts away.
Subscriber Questions:
Spring Poles and Jenny's I'm Afraid to Get One Because Someone Will Assume That I Am Fighting My Dogs
This is a valid concern. However, the last time I looked it was, "Innoncent until proven Guilty." At least in my country that's how it works. I would use some precaution with any of these items. First of all, people, especially lazy dog owners, are not used to someone actually taking the time to get their dogs in shape.
Second of all, the problem is made worse because the "if you see this stuff, they fight dogs" list that ignorant law enforcement agencies issue to the public.
I wouldn't worry to much about it unless there was cause to worry. If you use the items properly and safely, then no one will be able to say you are a dog fighter. Because, well, you aren't. So I would suggest putting the burden of proof on the big mouth nosey neighbor who thinks they know it all.
Two words: Prove it.
If you do find yourself staring at a peace officer or animal control officer, explain to them you use it for recreational exercise or that your dog is on a conditioning program. If they ask why? I wouldn't even answer it, but you could tell them, to get them in shape (big DUH! on that one right.)
So my advice to anyone who has the same feelings but would like to use any of the equipement mentioned, do it. The burden of proof is on the other person and since you do not fight your dogs, you have nothing to hide or be worried about.
