Moselle

Moselle can you answer this question for me, just out of personal curiosity? I understand that you seem to be frustrated but all capitals are hard to read Capitals were used simply because I am getting sick and tired of having to repeat myself. No, I have not contacted Mr. Linke but will try to do so tomorrow! Good idea casowner.

Then how does it prove detrimental to the pure breeds he mentioned? It only serves to convince people that most pitbull lookalikes could instead be staffies or mastiffs and could start a tyrade of people wrongfully pointing the finger at these two breeds.

That's a fib, you've changed it at least twice. Once to change the question, a second time to remove a question. ETA: And how could you add the results of a previous poll to this one if they were answers to a different question? Why exactly do you think saying "it could have been x, y or z breed" is detrimental to any of them? If he'd said "It could have been a poodle or a maltese or a crossbreed" would you be so worked up over it? Yes, you are quite right in that I changed the question firstly and then deleted the 2nd question as my quote above stipulates clearly. AS I SAID, I MISTAKENLY FORGOT TO DELETE THE ORIGINAL QUESTION WHEN I TYPED IN THE CURRENT QUESTION THEREBY THE POLL HAD TWO QUESTIONS IN PLACE WHICH ONLY CONFUSED PEOPLE! YES, OF COURSE I WOULD BE JUST AS ANNOYED IF MR. LINKE HAD NAMED ANOTHER BREED OF DOG IN ORDER TO STEER PEOPLE FROM BLAMING A PARTICULAR BREED GIVEN THAT I DONT HAPPEN TO OWN A STAFFIE OR A MASTIFF, I THOUGHT THAT WAS RATHER OBVIOUS.

That's the largest quantum leap of logic I've seen in quite a while. From a comment speculating as to the possible ID of the attackers to concluding that the comment means staffies or mastiffs OR CROSSBREEDS (cos you keep leaving that bit out) are to be held responsible? Get real. You're seeing things that simply aren't there. I am not leaving the CROSSBREED part of the equation out as I do personally believe that dogs believed to be pitbulls could be crossbreeds in certain cases and LETS FACE IT - Mr. Linke's implicating crossbreeds does not exactly prove detrimental now, does it?

I would have thought so but given that SBT implied that I made the changes simply because I was unhappy with the first 8 answers, I thought I would allow for it. At the end of the day, it doesnt appear to have made any difference anyway, lol.

Why? It's perfectly true that ANY breed or crossbreed can attack. IMO Mr Linke is pointing out the bleeding obvious - most people can't tell one breed or crossbreed from another and can't seem to figure out that ALL dogs have teeth and can be aggressive in the wrong circumstances. Oh, he is pointing out the bleeding obvious, is he? LOL...that staffies or mastiffs are to be held responsible for attacks on dogs instead of the pitbull? lol. Yes, all dogs most certainly have teeth and prone to being aggressive, there is no disputing that one. Yes, quite a few members of the public have no idea in identifying one breed from another. Isn't just as easy to mistake, say, the japanese for chinese and imagine if someone of importance was to shift the blame from, say, the japanese to the chinese, wouldn't that serve to open a can of worms especially given that there was no proof to substantiate such.

Crikey, this was my first attempt at a poll. By rights, I should have taken my time in making sure that I was wording the question correctly in the 1st place. I have learnt my lesson. If I was to delete this poll only to start again I would be crucified and accused of only doing so because the results were not to my liking, lol.

No, you didn't. Anyway it is hardly a proper poll when you keep fiddling with the question(s), notwithstanding that the results thus far do not favour your viewpoint at all. No, not at all. I don't know what the heck is going on; I have been trying to rectify the problem and am not having any luck! Heck, I want people's opinion just as much as you do, no matter if they agree with me or not. I was, in fact, trying to reword the question to this poll as I worded it wrong the 1st time around. Looks as though the poll is back on and lest we forget that, as you said BST, 8 people do agree with Mr. Linke's statement. (post 7). Yes I did say that the original 8 votes in favour of Mr. Linke's statement will be added to the final poll results as my above post goes to prove. I haven't kept on fiddling with the question/s. I tried to make a change once and only the once! What are you up in arms about anyway given that the results to date are not in my favour? lol.

Firstly its not wrong, and you agree. Second, It is not my view that he is confusing the public, it is my view that his aim is to educate the public not confuse them. Yes, yes...let us educate the public that most dogs resembling pitbulls are in fact staffies or mastiffs.

Yup. Sure looks that way to me! Did you not read my responce to SBT's comment? It was my err in not wording the question properly in the very 1st place. I did explain that and proceeded to say that the previous 8 votes (yes) are to be added to the final poll results therefore nothing is lost. I didn't answer yes to your two amended versions That is your prerogative, SBT. At the end of the day, I have nothing to lose or gain as I don't own a staffy or a mastiff. I simply feel sorry for those that do following Mr. Linke's statement.

The original 8 votes will be added to the final results of this poll, SBT, as I have already stated. I only have one question not two. I had worded it wrong in the 1st place and when I made the changes to the current question I failed to delete the original question and thereby this would have served only to confuse posters. Sheesh, sorry.

Yup. Sure looks that way to me! Did you not read my responce to SBT's comment? It was my err in not wording the question properly in the very 1st place. I did explain that and proceeded to say that the previous 8 votes (yes) are to be added to the final poll results therefore nothing is lost.

Yes, lets indeed punish the deed and not the breed and please let us not point the finger at other breeds of dogs likely to have been responsible for this attack.

which I think was your original question?? or which is below the other question and a different question. Here goes again! This is really starting to annoy me. I have never done this before hence the mistakes!

SBT, I have been trying to rectify the problem for a while now and kept stuffing up. Every time I thought I had it right the poll was not showing up. Oh, BTW, in between trying to fix this problem, I have visited the loo also. Is that okay? Yes, I did make a mistake in asking the question in the first place and decided to make the appropriate changes. The original question was whether people agreed with Mr. Linke's comment which was not what I was after hence the reason why I changed it to the current question which is my main concern.

No, not at all. I don't know what the heck is going on; I have been trying to rectify the problem and am not having any luck! Heck, I want people's opinion just as much as you do, no matter if they agree with me or not. I was, in fact, trying to reword the question to this poll as I worded it wrong the 1st time around. Looks as though the poll is back on and lest we forget that, as you said BST, 8 people do agree with Mr. Linke's statement.

Lo Pan, Mr. Linke has not seen the dogs responsible for the attack on the maltese. That is an even better reason for him not to make such blind assumptions. Is he basing this assumption on past attacks? Does he have actual data proving that dog attacks deemed to be carried out by pitbulls were in fact carried out by the staffie or the mastiff? He is trying to shift the blame on other breeds in order to protect his beloved pitbull. It is all fair and dandy in saying that people have no idea in properly identifying the pitbull, which is very true, but confusing the public at large into thinking that dogs perceived as pitbulls could in fact be staffies or mastiffs is simply not only WRONG but also DETRIMENTAL!

"RSPCA ACT Chief executive, Michael Linke, who owns an american pit bull terrier, said it was a much maligned breed and that the dogs which attacked Harry could have been mastiffs, staffordshire bull terriers or cross breeds. He said ACT Legislation requiring people to hold a licence in order to keep a dog that had been declared dangerous by the DAS registrar was better than a blanket ban on any particular breed. Any dog is capable of any act, irrespective of its breed and that type of legislation (as exists in the ACT) doesn't single out any one breed as being more dangerous than any other, he said. We are 100 per cent opposed to vicious dogs in our community... Pit bulls are subject to ownership restrictions in NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria" I have taken this thread to this section of DOL (from the NEWS section) as it seems to generate more attention. I have maintained that Mr. Linke was wrong in making the above statement. IMO, all that his statement serves to accomplish is in confusing people even further and planting the seed of doubt that attacks from perceived "pitbulls" could instead be from staffies or mastiffs. This is not a fair statement and a totally selfish one. I can respect the fact that he dotes on his pet pitbull but he should have remained neutral and not be so liberal in pointing the finger on other breeds, namely the staffie or the mastiff.

And for the record, I am not offended by Michael Linke's statement as all he was stating is fact. No, Mr. Linke's statement was not based on fact. He is literally stating that a dog wrongly deemed to be a pitbull in the eyes of the public could, in turn, be in fact a staffie or a mastiff. So he is implying that staffies or the mastiff could be responsible for certain attacks and not the pitbull. This could serve to simply start an epidemic where the media will start looking down on the staffie or the mastiff. Not a good idea!

On occasion, I wouldnt be surprised if the odd individual may mistake a staffy for a pitbull but there hasnt been a furore over this, has there? No, I dont think that mastiffs are often mistaken for pitties. Crossbreeds mistaken for a pitbull? yes, quite likely. Moselle, This is where I stongly dispute your argument. My purebred has been mistaken for a pitty by someone who ovbiously has no idea of either breeds physical appearance. I understand what your trying to say, you are saying that simply by stating the other breeds that the offending dogs could have been is passing the buck so to speak onto other breeds other than the pitt bull. But, I say, why should the pitt bull breed get the finger pointed immediately at them when infact, not many people can correctly identify a pitt bull from a mixed breed - hell, in my experience, from another purebreed. I get it, but, I say it is not fair to immediately blame a pitt bull when infact no one can be sure what breed the dogs where. Gee, go and have a look at other threads where a Boston x Lab was confiscated from it's elderly owner because it was wrongly identified as a pitt bull!!! And for the record, I am not offended by Michael Linke's statement as all he was stating is fact. What breed is your purebreed dog? is it the one pictured on the avatar? I am glad that you actually understood what I have been trying to say and I agree totally, as I have said earlier, that most people have no real idea what a purebred pittie actually looks like. I so hate what had transpired in QLD with the wrong identification of dogs and the subsequent destruction of them simply because they were deemed to be "pitbulls." I also despise the fact that too many so-called "pitbulls" have been sent to their deaths through no wrong doing whatsoever! Even purebred pitbulls that have committed no crime have a right to live out their lives without being destroyed! Having said all this, I still maintain that mr. linke was trying to sway people's way of thinking much to the dismay of staffy or mastiff owners.

On occasion, I wouldnt be surprised if the odd individual may mistake a staffy for a pitbull but there hasnt been a furore over this, has there? No, I dont think that mastiffs are often mistaken for pitties. Crossbreeds mistaken for a pitbull? yes, quite likely.

I am compelled to ask what part of the english language do people not understand? Melzawelza, I do know that people have no idea as to what a purebred pitbull actually looks like and tend to blame most attacks on pitbulls....that has nothing whatsoever to do with what I have been trying to say here! Is it a case of selective hearing or a question of being hard on understanding? My issue is with Mr. Linke and his stupid speech.

Nah, I dont think I am embarrasing myself. I still stand my case on the stupidity or perhaps selfishness of mr. linke.

Maybe a purebred dog forum isn't for you then? Prada's nickanme is bitch-face... do you think she cares that I call her that? I'm sorry but that dog is not attractive, at all. I do not mind that this forum is all about purebreds, lol. It is the hypocrisy in certain people to only see ugliness in crossbreeds that irks me. Too ridiculous for words. Do you mean to say that all purebred dogs are an oil painting? Basically, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, at least that's what I always believed.

Oh dear, some of you are downright feral