What Should I Make of This.....?

[4hooves&featheredfriends]

So yesterday about 4:30 PM, I am getting ready to leave the house in the village to go to the farm to teach a lesson. My two girls,(dogs) had been kenneled while I was gone in the morning and were full of energy.

As I made my way to the door the two of them bolted out the door. OK my bad, but this rarely happens- maybe 3x out of 365 days. They played in the yard and then went across the street into a parking lot of the local Headstart. A young woman was pulling out of the parking lot as I called the girls and they obeyed to return to our yard.

The woman, stops the car and says, "Excuse me. Are your dogs ever out during the day as there are small children coming in and out of the school?" I responded," No, the girls are typically on a leash, rarely ever off leash," and I explained the event that just happened. She says,"Oh I was just wondering as there are small children in and out of the school," to which I said, "The girls have been here for 3 years, as have the children going in and out and there has never been a problem. They are very child/family friendly." To that she said,"Oh, I don't have a problem with the breed, Pit Bulls that is, I was just curious."

So what did I learn? People's image of the breed is so generalized, but I can also respect the fact that this amazing breed was once bred and conditioned for a very sick purpose. This is why it is so important for the community to see the "good ones." It is also why I feel as a Staffordshire owner, which is what my girls are, I need to be vigilant to keep them safe and the community appeased. I carry the guilt that my girls are always on a leash, even though they stay in our yard, (except for the 3 out of 365 days for 3 minute) return to my command b/c I know how some feel about the breed.

However, I do wonder did she ask the same questions of the black lab owner down the street or the golden retriever owner next door. I can't be sure....but I imagine not.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[DarkUnicorn]

Um.... It was a Doberman that terrorized me as a kid..... But I don't blame the breed.

We had a pit bull as a garage pet/ security system... We only heard him growl once... At a guy who was HOT over the fact we couldn't release his car. It was impounded, sorry no touch. My sister and I were more shocked that hothead. One growl the fellow calmed down and the dog went back to his spot by my feet....

Never heard that big baby growl before or after. I miss that dog so much....

 

[soonerdog]

I wouldn't take her questions too personal or specific to the type of breed of dogs you have. I would just chalk-it-up to good observation and questioning on her part as a concerned parent and neighbor that dogs were loose in the neighborhood. Though nothing happened, and probably never will, she was just concerned. Maybe you helped calm her concerns by explaining.

 

[Boyd]

actually I think it was a positive experience. Even though they got loose, they immediately obeyed, and were friendly in general by the sounds of it. I have a staffordshire mixe and he's the biggest baby out there. Only thing that bugs him is the vacuum cleaner and sparklers. Both of those he tries to eat for some reason

 

[shelleyd2008]

Many people are afraid of these types of dogs. She was just concerned about the safety of the children. I agree though, she probably wouldn't have said anything if it had been the goofy lab or furry golden, but that's just the way people are.
When I lived in Indiana, I had a pit bull that was almost pure white. She was gorgeous, and the biggest baby you would ever see. I had a habit of walking my dogs in town whenever I could, to make sure they were used to being around a lot of people. I lived in the country, and there weren't a whole lot of people around.
When I would take Moon to town on her walks, people would make it a point to cross the street so they could walk on the other side. No one did this with Dusty the golden, or Buster the basset, only with Moon. She was probably more sweet than either of the other two, but people were just afraid of her because she was a pit. If they had not crossed the street, they would have noticed she was more apt to lick them to death than anything else, but there is such a stigma on short-coated dogs with boxy heads that some people can't get over.

 

[TammyTX]

It's a touchy subject and I can tell you love your Staffordshires and they sound very well behaved.

I've had bad experiences with pit bulls....and I'm not a fan.

I personally don't want anything with teeth near me if I don't know it. That includes raggedy looking cats, too! ...I wish I could insert a photo of my neighbors cat that we call "Pet Cemetary!)

My short haired Shar-Pei has been mistaken for a pit bull.

I wouldn't put much thought into her comments, I think it was just concern.

.....on the other hand. Document the incident in a journal, just in case!

 

[Hoosiermomma]

It's a shame that a few bad apples have spoiled the name for alot of good breeds. All dogs have it in them to be vicious because of their instincts, however most never act on it. We have labs, beagles and mutts. One of my girls was a chow/lab mix and just because she had black on her tongue people would kind of step back when seeing her. If they would see my pot bellied beagle they probably wouldn't hesitate to come and pet her but she is the one who left a nice scar on my foot.

 

[Boyd]

Just want to add my $.02 here. The Pit Bull was on many of the old WWII posters I remember seeing in pictures and reproductions. It was an American household dog. Strong, loyal, and protective. It was origionally bred to hunt bears and bait bulls.... Of course dog fighting made more money on the black market and people started changing the breed..........

Now if you Google the pictures.. American Pit Bull, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Pit Bull you are going to see a bit of difference, but they are all lumped under the name "pit".

Was Petey from our gang a dopey lovable dog?

And for those who follow celebrities and others of note, heres just some names I found that have at least one

Mark Twain
Thomas Edison
Jessica Alba
Michael J. Fox
Alicia Silverstone
Jessica Biel owns three Pit Bulls
Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson have a Pit Bull named Penny Lane

Cesar Millan, otherwise known as The Dog Whisperer owns several Pit Bulls and uses them as model dogs with which to aid in rehabilitating misbehaved dogs in some circumstances. His most famous and commonly used Pitbull, Daddy, once belonged to rapper Redman

Big Boi from hip-hop duo OutKast is a registered Pit Bull breeder

Radio host Ira Glass has a Pit Bull
West Coast Choppers owner Jesse G. James owns a Pit Bull after whom he named his restaurant

TV cook Rachael Ray has one Pit Bull. Her Pit Bull's name is Isaboo and has appeared in cooking episodes and on her talk show. Rachel had another Pit Bull named Boo before she became famous.

Comedian Jon Stewart has two Pit Bulls, named Monkey and Shamsky
Author Andrew Vachss, a vocal opponent of Pit Bull fighting and breed-specific bans, has a Pit Bull named Honey

Actor Humphrey Bogart
American president Woodrow Wilson
Actress Mary Tyler Moore
Comedian Kevin Nealon owns two Pit Bulls.

 

[WriterofWords]

Chihuahuas are mean, snappy little things but seen as cute! Mine is cute, but still a snappy little thing. And people were afraid if the Pyrs because of their sizes!

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
as a small package courier in my former professional life, most of my dog bites were from medium to small dogs. Small dogs just liked to chew on my pant legs, medium dogs went a little higher or nip in the tush, big dogs were the smallest % of the problems animals I ever encountered but did the most damage because of size and strength.