Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-gold!hall From: hall@gold.DEC Newsgroups: net.pets Subject: Re: Pit Bull Terriers Message-ID: <2847@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Mon, 24-Jun-85 10:01:09 EDT Article-I.D.: decwrl.2847 Posted: Mon Jun 24 10:01:09 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 30-Jun-85 01:05:24 EDT Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Organization: DEC Engineering Network Lines: 41 Having listened to the discussion on pit bull terriers for the past few days, I finally had to write and add my comments. I worked for a veterinarian for ten years, and in regard to the vices and virtues of different breeds, I think that anyone who has been around dogs long enough can relate stories about "lovable" dogs attacking owners, neighbors, children, and other dogs (for no apparent reason). Now, I'm not singling out any one breed (I have two Weimaraners and a Lab myself, and have known some very lovable pit bulls, dobes, and shepards), but any breed of dog can turn on you given the right conditions. A visit to the vet is one of the most stressful things a dog goes through and is therefore a place where the true dog can be seen. Nurses at our hospital have been bitten by labs, poodles, bull mastiffs, goldens, dobermans, shepards, beagles, chihuahuas, ...you name it and someone can relate a story about being bitten by most any type of dog. Now, a great deal of a dog's everday attitude is environment ("he wouldn't hurt anyone")...but take the dog under an environmentally stressful situation and what you see is the genetic, innate characteristics of the breed. Granted there are certain bloodlines in every breed that have gentle qualities and are more adaptable to stress, but who is to say which breeds and bloodlines these are. I guess what I've been trying to say is that everyone trusts there own dog but that most people only judge a dog by the stories they have heard about the breed in general. As a veterinary nurse, you have to treat each dog as an individual and not judge him by breed. You asked why pit bulls are not used by police as "attack dogs". That is because dobes and shepards have been bred for police use...they give a good scare but seldom attack unless told to do so, they can also be called back. Pit bulls were originally bred to fight to the death, and in this case, once they attack I should think it would be very difficult to stop the attack with simple commands. Now, I'm not trying to start a major influx of letters about the vices and virtues of specific breeds, I just wanted to add my general comments, given my experiences working with many different types of dogs. Linda