One thing that I think people neglect to acknowledge about BSL is that 80% of the time, being born a pitbull is a death sentence even WITHOUT BSL. They are, as I like to call them, the most popular puppies and the least popular adults. Shelters are crawling with pitties who got ditched as soon as they got too big, too strong and too exhuberant-- as soon as they no longer made their owner look 'cool'. They say that to walk into a shelter as a pittie is pretty much lethal.
I don't agree that they are monsters, but I do agree that they are more dog than most can handle. I don't believe it's "all in how you raise them". They are not bred to be mellow, biddable, tolerate-anything spaniels. They are terriers and can manifest all the traits that come with the territory: They are iffy with dogs, kids and small animals and can be energetic and even a bit temperamental.
Your question really hits home with me today as I got the news that a bully mix I had been helping to train was put down for "snapping at a child". Take that for what you will. I don't know the whole story yet, but I can't help but wonder if the story would not have ended so badly, had the dog been homed with a family that didn't have a small kid. IMO not a good fit for:
a) A dog not raised around kids (she was a rescue).
b) A terrier, a breed known to be on the mouthier, nippier side of the spectrum.
I don't know that a ban would really solve all problems, but I really wish bullies were less popular than they are. They are not bad dogs, some of them even make fantastic family pets (Thinking here of @MRSbullies' girl who 'mothered' a guinea pig) but I think they require a special type of owner that is prepared for every possibility about owning a 60 lb terrier.
@MrsCunningham WOW that's crazy legislation. I can't imagine that much can be done bylaw-wise if owners decide to let their dog run loose in the home, so long as nobody reports it. Still, that sounds like a crappy life for a dog. I'm surprised they wouldn't just ban them outright rather than stipulating that any animal spend most of their waking hours in a kennel.
I don't agree that they are monsters, but I do agree that they are more dog than most can handle. I don't believe it's "all in how you raise them". They are not bred to be mellow, biddable, tolerate-anything spaniels. They are terriers and can manifest all the traits that come with the territory: They are iffy with dogs, kids and small animals and can be energetic and even a bit temperamental.
Your question really hits home with me today as I got the news that a bully mix I had been helping to train was put down for "snapping at a child". Take that for what you will. I don't know the whole story yet, but I can't help but wonder if the story would not have ended so badly, had the dog been homed with a family that didn't have a small kid. IMO not a good fit for:
a) A dog not raised around kids (she was a rescue).
b) A terrier, a breed known to be on the mouthier, nippier side of the spectrum.
I don't know that a ban would really solve all problems, but I really wish bullies were less popular than they are. They are not bad dogs, some of them even make fantastic family pets (Thinking here of @MRSbullies' girl who 'mothered' a guinea pig) but I think they require a special type of owner that is prepared for every possibility about owning a 60 lb terrier.
@MrsCunningham WOW that's crazy legislation. I can't imagine that much can be done bylaw-wise if owners decide to let their dog run loose in the home, so long as nobody reports it. Still, that sounds like a crappy life for a dog. I'm surprised they wouldn't just ban them outright rather than stipulating that any animal spend most of their waking hours in a kennel.
