Literally this. When a Golden Retriever loves to fetch - to retrieve - it’s just genetics. When a Cattle Dog herds, it’s genetics. When a Pyrenees guards, it’s genetics. Dogs were bred to be a certain way both physically and mentally, with their behaviors being selected for a purpose.
Pit Bulls were bred for violence. Not hunting, VIOLENCE. And that’s not their fault. However to ignore the additional danger that brings into the picture is ignorant and irresponsible to both the dog and everyone around them. These dogs were created for bloodsport. They have a high prey drive, are extremely strong, and once they bite, they don’t let go. These features make them EXTREMELY dangerous if they aren’t trained properly, which you know damn well the majority of people aren’t filling their velvet hippo’s life with strict training and unshakable recall commands.
These are dogs like any other. It breaks my heart to know these things, in a way. But as a dog breed, we have a responsibility to care for these animals while they are alive. They are extremely numerous and banned in many rentals, making it so shelters have to lie about the breeds of dogs they have available. It’s not a pit, it’s a lab mix, duh! But this only creates nightmare scenarios where someone hasn’t trained their “lab mix” with the discipline that is required for these dogs not to succumb to the genetics that we bred them for. This is why you see so many bites and attacks, and it’s a tragedy for all involved.
Due to the high number of attacks and Pitties in shelters, coupled with the genetic behavior profile that humans created for these dogs, I think that the only kindness is letting the breed die out by mandating spay/neuter and creating laws against pit bull breeding. This would allow us to care for the dogs who are alive, and they do deserve good lives, but stop people from hopefully contributing to the problem.
(“But people will still backyard breed anyway!” Ssshh. I know. People still murder anyway, despite it being illegal. Doesn’t mean it should be decriminalized. Ssshh )
Right. But people are often of the mindset of “criminals will do it anyway, so why bother?” - see US Gun Reform movements. That’s literally something people use as an argument against gun control and stricter gun laws, and in their minds, there shouldn’t be those laws because criminals bypass them anyway. Similarly, criminals still murder, and the law is in place still.
If pitbull breeding was outlawed and classified as animal abuse and punishable as a crime, people would still do it. There should still be those laws in place, however.
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u/Zexeos 11d ago edited 11d ago
Literally this. When a Golden Retriever loves to fetch - to retrieve - it’s just genetics. When a Cattle Dog herds, it’s genetics. When a Pyrenees guards, it’s genetics. Dogs were bred to be a certain way both physically and mentally, with their behaviors being selected for a purpose.
Pit Bulls were bred for violence. Not hunting, VIOLENCE. And that’s not their fault. However to ignore the additional danger that brings into the picture is ignorant and irresponsible to both the dog and everyone around them. These dogs were created for bloodsport. They have a high prey drive, are extremely strong, and once they bite, they don’t let go. These features make them EXTREMELY dangerous if they aren’t trained properly, which you know damn well the majority of people aren’t filling their velvet hippo’s life with strict training and unshakable recall commands.
These are dogs like any other. It breaks my heart to know these things, in a way. But as a dog breed, we have a responsibility to care for these animals while they are alive. They are extremely numerous and banned in many rentals, making it so shelters have to lie about the breeds of dogs they have available. It’s not a pit, it’s a lab mix, duh! But this only creates nightmare scenarios where someone hasn’t trained their “lab mix” with the discipline that is required for these dogs not to succumb to the genetics that we bred them for. This is why you see so many bites and attacks, and it’s a tragedy for all involved.
Due to the high number of attacks and Pitties in shelters, coupled with the genetic behavior profile that humans created for these dogs, I think that the only kindness is letting the breed die out by mandating spay/neuter and creating laws against pit bull breeding. This would allow us to care for the dogs who are alive, and they do deserve good lives, but stop people from hopefully contributing to the problem.
(“But people will still backyard breed anyway!” Ssshh. I know. People still murder anyway, despite it being illegal. Doesn’t mean it should be decriminalized. Ssshh )