WC> -> What if Spanky HAD responded viciously(per leftover training from his
WC> -> previous owner, e.g.)?
WC>
WC> You mean my ex-girlfriend Cynthia who was one of the two former owners?
WC> I'd known the dog since he was six months old and I'd even seen him
WC> respond to Cynthia ordering him to attack using his attack command.

I thought you had said that Spanky's first(or last?) owner had had him
partially trained as an attack dog?

WC> Prior to my little experiment with the homeless guy Cynthia had
WC> used the dog's attack command in an attempt to get him to attack
WC> ME!
WC> She was very serious and her tone unmistakable as she literally
WC> screamed her attack command.
WC> What may you ask was the dog's response?
WC>
WC> Spanky stood there head slunk low between his shoulders
WC> with all four legs very visably shaking.
WC> The dog used his judgement and seeing I'd done nothing wrong
WC> was locked in conflict between his training and his judgement.
WC> I gave Spanky a reasonable alternative and in a very mild and quiet
WC> tone said "Spanky, go behind the recliner and lay down."
WC>
WC> Spanky very promptly complied with my request leaving Cynthia speechless
WC> and quivering in rage.
WC>
WC> It also ended Cynthia's unexpected and unexplained outburst against me,
WC> she was completely taken aback the dog refused to attack
WC> deferring to it's own judgement of the situation.

Wow!  That's incredible!  And that's partly because you established this alpha
dominance over Spanky?
How'd you do that?

WC> I hold the dog in higher regard and it's why he's still with me
WC> despite my limited resources and mobility issues.
WC> Spanky has NEVER let me down in any way.

And why Cynthia is NOT, eh? *G*

That expression on her face must've been a sight to see!

WC> -> Right, and up here, the cops would see him and press their luck, with
WC> -> gun ready, just so they can kill something and feel like 'real men'! :(
WC>
WC> There've been a number of such incidents around here with Pits
WC> whose friends and neighbors all testified were good friendly dogs.
WC> Those dogs are still dead and the officers cleared of wrongdoing :-(

Yeah, sucks, don't it? :(

WC> I don't live in Denver County but Pinellas Florida.
WC> One woman however did move out of the county on account of her love
WC> for her dog.

What else can one do, eh? :(

WC> ->  WC> It would take so little media time to educate how to
make the breed
WC> ->  WC> safe
WC> ->  WC> but do they take the three minutes to do so?
WC>
WC> -> Why?  When hyping up the negativity attracts more attention to their
WC> -> rags than any attempt at educating the willfully ignorant could ever do?
WC>
WC> A sad indictment of human nature ain't it.

Yes, indeedy! :(
Our stupid media-indoctrinated neighbours who have the power of the vote! :P

WC> One dog they'd had five months, the second three and the second had
WC> been feral running loose.
WC> Neither was neutered and no alpha dominance training provided.
WC>
WC> What happened was quite predictable and I'd say they got off rather
WC> easily as the both lived, lost no appendages and their injuries
WC> will heal.
WC>
WC> I would never take in a Pit Bull tha had been running in the wild Feral.

That'd be like taking in any other wild animal(eg. Puma) -- without expert
knowledge, you're going to run up against the animal's feral nature, and you
WILL lose!

WC> BTW, Spanky isn't neutered either but than he isn't broken,
WC> just very gentle, well behaved and absolutely reliable.
WC>
WC> I've 15 1/2 years or a touch more experience with this animal from which
WC> to make that observation.

There ya go -- you can speak authoritatively about how Pit Bulls are not
automatically dangerous, and how good ownership/leadership leads to a good pet,
Pit or otherwise. . .

But, of course, it's the know-nothing fearmongers who get all the
press/acknowledgement. . . :(

I've never had a Pit, and likely never will, but I know dogs well enough from
my younger days, and I know that it's all about good caring ownership -- and
that BAD ownership can(will) well lead to bad dogs! :P

Because I care,
|<+]::-)  (Cyberpope(the Bishop of ROM!))


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