The world we live in is full of excuses and blame. The American Pitbull Terrier/American Staffordshire Terrier is not the monster that the media and society makes them out to be. It is my firm belief that in almost ALL cases, the owner determines how the dog will behave. It is all too easy to blame the dog which, in my opinion, is the wrong side of the leash. My dogs are well socialized with people, children, cats, dogs, brooms, mops - EVERYTHING! Why? Because people that LOVE and CARE for the welfare of this breed are fighting an uphill battle so we can RESPONSIBLY keep our dogs.
According to the Humane Society, over 95% of dogs relinquished to them in shelters are there for "behavioral problems". Only 5% of these dogs were ever offered formal training. That makes me truly sick. As a society, we are very lazy and the animals pay for this. A puppy does not come trained. You can get lucky, but it's never a sure thing. This applies to ALL BREEDS of DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!
The truth is, an irresponsible owner is much more dangerous than any dog.
My dogs are full of love because I made them that way (well, great breeding helped also). They are loved - so they love easily in return. This breed is full of character, charm, loyalty and pride. It is time we all take accountability for how a dog is raised and stop blaming an entire breed on the actions of others. Chances are these dogs you hear about were NOT raised correctly. Society is failing. Punish the deed, NOT the breed.
