Passion For Pibbles

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Responsible Pit Bull owner

The following is 'borrowed' from their Facebook page.

If you are not a responsible Pit Bull owner, guess who pays for it? Help spread the word so we can end this BSL crap once and for all. T

1. Never allow your pit bull to roam free. Dogs are just like human children. When not supervised, the decisions they make are often not for their best interest. For the safety of your dog and the general dog population, keep your pit bull behind a fence!

2. Always keep your pit bull on leash. When a Golden Retriever runs up to a person, they say, “How sweet!” When a pit bull does the exact same thing, people say, “Vicious dog!” This is an unfortunate truth. Let’s not make the reputation of the pit bull worse than it already is.

3. Never take your pit bull to a dog park. Even if you think your pit bull is wonderful with other dogs, all it takes is once. If a Labrador starts a fight and your pit bull defends himself, whom will everyone blame? Let’s face it; the pit bull is always at fault in the eyes of the public.

4. You should take your pit bull to obedience classes. Yet again, in the eyes of the general public pit bulls are menacing creatures. The more socially acceptable they are by having impeccable manners, the better the reputation they will have. And remember, once is NOT enough. Ongoing obedience classes are best.

5. Socialize your pit bull as much possible before and after they reach maturity. A shy pit bull is a pathetic creature indeed. Not only is being shy an abnormal pit bull trait, it also could be dangerous. You want your dog to be able to handle new situations with confidence and pleasure. As with obedience classes, once is not enough! Ongoing socialization will ensure your dog’s happiness by showing him the world is a wonderful place. And please remember, socialization does not mean your dog running around with other dogs off leash!

6. Be a responsible parent! Do not allow your pit bull to be subjected to people who are belligerent or cruel. By ‘forcing’ your dog to ‘say hi’ to these types of people, you are being an irresponsible parent! You would never expect your human child to simply take whatever you dish out and like it. Please do not expect this from your dog.

7. Know where your dog is at all times. Don’t leave your pit bull outside unattended. Who knows what is going on in the back yard while you are away. Are children teasing your dog? Is your dog learning to be aggressive by having to defend himself in these situations? Don’t leave the parenting up to others. Responsibility is the key to proper and safe pit bull ownership.

8. Pit bulls need a job. Whether this job is obedience classes, taking a walk with you everyday, sitting at your feet while you are on the computer in the evenings, or something more intense such as search and rescue, a pit bull needs to feel important and needed. They are highly intelligent animals with fine tuned problem solving skills. They need an outlet for this energy.

9. Daily exercise is a must! Playing fetch, hiking or whatever you love to do, your pit bull will be more than willing to participate.

10. Spay and neuter your pit bull. With thousands of pit bulls dying in shelters, don’t be a part of the problem. Be part of the solution!

11. Understand that Terriers can be dog aggressive and prey driven. Take precautions and use common sense. Don’t allow your pit bull to run up to unknown dogs and never allow unknown dogs to run up to your pit bull. Remember, you are the parent! As long as you understand this and can love your dog for who and what he is, you’ve got it made!

12. NEVER leave pit bulls alone and unsupervised with other animals. Even though you think they are the best of friends, it’s better to be safe than sorry! All it takes is one time for a fight to break out. This is especially true with multiple Pit Bulls in one household. Don’t take any chances and remember this saying… Never trust your dog, not matter what the breed, not to fight another dog… ever!

13. Keep your pit bull in an enclosure that is escape proof. I always keep my dogs in the house in crates when I am not there to supervise. This is the utmost in safety. Just make sure your dog cannot get out to roam. If your dog makes a mistake, ALL pit bull owners pay for it!

Today there was a question brought up in regards to a post that I shared. Honestly never really thought about the reasoning. Perhaps it’s because I have seen just how over crowded these shelters are with our beloved Pit Bull and Pit Bull mixes. (The average person may not be aware of the staggering statistics.) Someone wanted to know why there always seems to be programs out there to help get them spayed/neutered for low cost or even sometimes free. Why are they the only type of dog that seems to have these programs?

Simple answer is this – there is by far more Pits and Pit mixes in the shelters (and in homes) than probably any other dog breed/type at this time. The other dog that comes close (especially in the California shelters) is the Chihuahua. Sadly many get these dogs because it’s a fad at the time. Perhaps they see that cute little Chi movie and think that’s the breed for them. Or someone falls for the stereotype and thinks they will make a cool looking thug wannabe if they get a pit bull. Sadly many of these dogs get dumped after the novelty wears off, some are overbred to meet the demands of said fad. Not only do the offspring often end up in shelters but once their parents have served their purpose they too are dumped. These situations are why we have so many issues within the shelters and rescues all over.

The way the animal community (shelters, rescues, donors, charities, etc) are trying to combat this never ending problem is to initiate programs for everyone (not just low income families) to be able to be the responsible pit bull owner and get their pits fixed. As many know there are several beneficial reasons for having your dogs sterilized.

Besides, let’s face it too many dogs (especially pits) in this word are looking for a home.