The “pit bull downside” is not a pit bull downside

It’s an all-dog downside.

Or, I ought to say, it’s an issue for all canines.

As a result of what the “pit bull downside” actually is, is a whole and utter misunderstanding of what canines are and the way they behave. (And the way they need to be handled, however that’s a part of the what canines are query, too.)

Did you guys see this?

Toronto’s pit bulls are virtually gone. So why are there extra canine bites than ever?

Actually, that is what pit bull advocates have been shouting from the rooftops for ceaselessly, proper?

Breed-specific laws won’t ever be the reply. By no means ever.

Ever.

Right here’s the factor: We’re a dog-driven, dog-heavy, dog-saturated society. Even in the event you’re not a canine particular person, in the event you reside right here among the many remainder of us, you most likely can’t go a day with out seeing at the least one canine. In your neighbor’s yard, strolling previous your workplace constructing, jogging within the park, on tv, in commercials, in statues and on greeting playing cards and on and on.

Canine are all over the place.

That’s great, after all, as a result of they certain make life nice.

However it’s additionally damaging (to canines) as a result of it’s all-too-easy for us to overlook: Simply because they’re a part of human life round each twist and switch, they’re an entire different species with an entire different set of wants, behaviors, and quirks.

Proper? We are able to all comply with that, proper? Canine aren’t individuals.

So, right here’s the place the canine downside is available in: By forgetting that they’re a separate species, we (I’m utilizing “we” generically, right here, so please don’t take offense… I’m certain you’re a beautiful canine particular person) deal with them unfairly. We (once more, generically) flip them into shelters as a result of they bark an excessive amount of or leap on our granny or–gasp–chunk our youngsters.

Our expectations–canines are half and parcel of human life, so clearly they’ll know the foundations we would like them to know as a result of clearly they’re canines, duh–don’t align with the truth of inviting one other species into our properties.

Canine languish in shelters, canines lose their lives, canines get sentenced to a life chained within the yard as a result of our expectations don’t align with the truth of getting one other species woven into the material of our lives.

And that isn’t breed-specific.

I cannot disagree with these of you who cry out that there are some canines who don’t belong with households, who’re unsafe to be in our properties. Sure, there are some. They’re oh-so-few, although, and lots of labeled as such (Lucas.) could be unimaginable household pets if handled, educated, fed, exercised, and many others. accurately.

And that isn’t a breed-specific distinction, both.

Let’s put aside the emotion of breed-specific laws for a sec, that intense, gut-wrenching ache of household canines being taken from their properties or by no means even given an opportunity to have a house due to how they appear.

Set that apart for only a sec.

Taking a look at it from a purely logical standpoint: Wouldn’t it make way more sense to concentrate on educating individuals the way to perceive and the way to prepare canines? Wouldn’t it make way more sense to concentrate on conduct–of each canine and human–than outward look? Heck, we people be taught from the youngest age by no means to evaluate a guide by a canopy or an individual by their pores and skin, so how can we not apply that very same logic to canines?

It makes no rational sense.

I get that that is an oversimplification. I do. I get that it entails all kinds of issues like the way to really ship that training and the way to overcome our tradition of violence and the way to (lastly) hyperlink home abuse and animal abuse and, taking that even additional, the way to concentrate on rehabilitation not only a punitive method (once more, canines and people) and on and on.

I get it. It’s difficult.

However I additionally assume we’ve so over-complicated among the most simple points with “the pit bull downside” that we’ve ignored the basic downside: a lack of expertise of canines. Simply canines. Any breed.

As a result of, on the finish of the day, we will all acknowledge that BSL doesn’t work. (And, by “we” I’m nonetheless generalizing as a result of there’s a small subset of the inhabitants that refuses to acknowledge knowledge and science over worry and emotion.)

So, let’s cease speaking about breed, eh? (

Let’s use our heads and begin speaking concerning the issues that actually matter, the issues that may preserve canines joyful and wholesome in properties, the issues that may lower canine bites.

As a result of it certain isn’t a breed ban.

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