"pit Bull" Attacks Maltese In Canberra

[Teebs]

Surely even the least dog knowledgeable people can tell the difference between a giant dog as opposed to a medium sized dog? Not sure where you are, but i'd be willing to put money on there being more pure pitbulls than mastiffs! I can understand the misidentifying of a staffy cross as a pitbull but in no way can i understand the constant lumping in of mastiffs to pitbull types

I just wanted to comment on this.

I have 2 dogs, a Bull Terrier, 27kgs and a SBT, 16kgs. I have had people comment on how HUGE Kaos (SBT is) that she is a massive dog and how can someone control her?

She is tiny, i can pick her up and carry her around in one hand if i need to.

Someone who has not been around many dogs may not know the size of a lot of dogs, and if they think my Kaos is huge, imagine what they would think a Medium or Large size dog to be...

[Moselle]

I have owned a few Bullmastiffs and Bullmastiff crosses and yes if they are crossed they can easily be misidentified as a pitbull by normal pet people, no one is mastiff bashing but the point is anyone under duress that has there dog being attacked normally goes for the "pitbull" breed reference. Is it fair - no but all you have to do is read the paper or listen to the news after an attack and it is generally a "pitbull attack". I think people are trying to show that it is good that for once a person in the media is not pressing the automatic scare mongering button

Yes I do agree with you in that people should not automatically assume that every dog attack is carried out by a pitbull no matter how close a resemblance. Still, Mr. Linke is doing the wrong thing, that is my belief and I am sticking to it

[Oliversmum]

It seems inevitable that whenever there are dog attacks by dogs perceived as "pitbulls" ...people start jumping up and down. It is well about time that lovers of this breed start acknowledging the fact that pitbulls are indeed DA. It really annoys me to no end when all kinds of excuses are entered into. The typical and most popular excuse ? Ah....it cannot possibly be a purebred pitbull, it just has to be a crossbreed. WTF. It is all too easy to say that all dogs involved in killing or maiming people or animals are not purebred pitbulls but a cross. Well, you tell me...if it is a cross then which part of that cross should be deemed DA or HA? Lest we forget....let us not name the pitbull part of the equation or else!

Your reaction is typical of the lynch mob mentality that the mass media thrives on, the Pit Bull is much maligned and often innocent of wrong doings so much so it has a name-Brown Dog Syndrome, the general public is so adament that every dog attack by a medium sized dog is a Pit Bull rampage

People are passionate about defending the Pit Bull and other Bullies against the horrible prejudices that are heaped on them by the (largely) ill informed public. Ignorance is a killer and too many people have had their beloved family pets killed due to looking like a Pit Bull.

It annoys me that if a Pit Bull is slandered and abused people are not meant to defend them but anybody should be allowed to defend their breed from nasty verbal attacks and if it comes accross as over defensive, well no wonder.

Lest we forget.....The 1000's of Pitbulls killed by people with the same thoughts as yours.

So true, people always being asked why they would have that breed rather than another....well why would one get a maltese, a kelpie, a mastiff etc etc etc? Yet owners of any other breed don't get hassled.

Why should Pitbull owners have to justify their breed of choice?!

Why don't owners of other breed of dogs get hassled? perhaps you should try answering that question yourself, lol.

Trust me, I get hassled...it upsets me and offends me. Not because my dog is being labled as PB or x, because I personally don't have a problem with them, but, because of the inuendo that goes with it. Because BSL could threaten so many other breeds as unfairly as it does the PB and because as a reasonable dog owner I am fully aware of the damage ANY dog can do, particularly when in pairs or pack and the immediate response is "oh it must be a pitty" Just a wild assumption which as I've stated, could be any breed, mix or cross you can come up with which I think is what Mr. Linke was attempting to point out.

[poodlefan]

Still, Mr. Linke is doing the wrong thing, that is my belief and I am sticking to it

Mr Linke does not support a ban on Pitbulls - IMO I'll stick with the local RSPCA CEO we have here in the ACT and you can keep yours.

[Moselle]

I bet if Mr Linke owned a mastiff instead of a pitbull there would have been no mention Mastiff's in relation to this incident. I would have a much easier time believing someone mistook a bullmastiff x for a pitbull... at least there is some bully in there!

Exactly

[Moselle]

Still, Mr. Linke is doing the wrong thing, that is my belief and I am sticking to it

Mr Linke does not support a ban on Pitbulls - IMO I'll stick with the local RSPCA CEO we have here in the ACT and you can keep yours.

Do not put words in my mouth, thank you very much. I do not support a ban on any breed of dog including the much maligned pitbull. I don't doubt that many a staffy owner/breeder or mastiff owner/breeder would very much resent his comments! Oh, and just because he happens to be the RSPCA CEO does not make him infallible, lol. He seems to have foot in mouth disease and all for the purpose of shifting the blame simply because he happens to own a pitbull. He could easily have made a statement stipulating that certain dogs are often mistaken for a pitbull but to specifically name another breed of dog (namely the staffy or mastiff) is downright idiotic. So, why dont we shift people's belief that an attack from a dog resembling a pitbull is in fact a staffy or mastiff? what a great state of affairs that would be!

[Zhou Xuanyao]

In making such a statement could simply serve to make people think that what they think is a pitbull could possibly be a staffy, mastiff, etc.

Thats correct Moselle. I do think that is what he meant. Staffy, Mastiff, Cross breed, ect

He was not blaming any other breed, he was saying that these are amongst the breeds, including cross breeds, that are often mis-reported as Pitbulls.

[Robbi]

Why don't owners of other breed of dogs get hassled? perhaps you should try answering that question yourself, lol.

They do. You need to read more posts here.

Other breeds do get hassled, I have had coursing dogs in the past and have heard all sorts of rubbish said about sighthounds and their killing capacity, I have been told my Whippet should be muzzled in a public place.

German Shepherd, Rottweiler and Doberman owners also know only too well the small mindedness of some people with breed prejudices.

There is nothing funny about BSL it is canine genocide.

[Moselle]

Why don't owners of other breed of dogs get hassled? perhaps you should try answering that question yourself, lol.

They do. You need to read more posts here.

Other breeds do get hassled, I have had coursing dogs in the past and have heard all sorts of rubbish said about sighthounds and their killing capacity, I have been told my Whippet should be muzzled in a public place.

German Shepherd, Rottweiler and Doberman owners also know only too well the small mindedness of some people with breed prejudices.

There is nothing funny about BSL it is canine genocide.

Yep, BSL is canine genocide!

[Curlybert]

What exactly is your point about pitbulls, Moselle? You seem to have done a complete backflip from your starting position.

Edited July 19, 2010 by Curlybert

[geo]

I bet if Mr Linke owned a mastiff instead of a pitbull there would have been no mention Mastiff's in relation to this incident. I would have a much easier time believing someone mistook a bullmastiff x for a pitbull... at least there is some bully in there!

Exactly

Actually as Mr Linke is someone who is against BSL, I believe he would have just to deflect attention away from a cause that he believes in.

As for the bullsmastiff x thing, many of the cross bred pig dogs up here have mastiff in them and heaps of people will get confused about their breed and say oh it must be a pitty.

I was speaking to a fella on Sat who said he hated pitbulls as his dog was attacked by 2 60kg pitbulls, i explained a few things to try and change his mind as they don't come that big. As someone said people really do get the size of dogs wrong, and in an attack every dog seems to be huge.

Mr Linke as far as I'm concerned is doing a great job in defending the pitbull, and by doing so he is defending many breeds from being added to the list.

[Marley'z Mum]

I'm in perth, so I don't know who this Mr Linke is, but I read what he said to mean, people are always jumping to the assumption it is a pitbull, when it could have been any number of dogs that look very similar....

I personally honestly believe it doesn't matter what sort of dog you have, it is about the way it is raised for the most part.... I believe some people get a pitbull for the name and they want an agressive dog, and its these people that have given the breed a terrible name...

I would also like to say, I have known pitbulls that are the most placid dogs I have ever seen, I have also known a maltese, that most people couldnt get near for fear of losing a finger, and other dogs well.... very agressive

anyway thats my 2 pennys :-)

[tdierikx]

... and then there is the fact that if media are thinking of running a story about a dog attack, they have been known to steer the victim/eyewitness to state that the attacker is/was a pitbull type. Makes for better copy, and supports the BSL argument.

ANY larger breed dog can inflict a lot of damage if attacking a child or another dog - and anyone attempting to wade into a fight involving larger breed dogs can and usually does get hurt.

I own a Rotti/Pittie - and in her 11 years only one person has picked that she has Rotti in her mix... NONE has picked Pittie, Staffy, or Bull breed as the other part of the mix. She is not DA or in the slightest way nasty with anyone or anything. Most people think she is a Lab cross, and I don't disabuse them of that notion... *grin*

T.

[keetamouse]

Just thought I would mention that there is an ad in todays Canberra Times " 5 pure bred Pitt Bulls free to good home" god knows where they will end up, anyone wants to mobile number PM me.

[Curlybert]

Just thought I would mention that there is an ad in todays Canberra Times " 5 pure bred Pitt Bulls free to good home" god knows where they will end up, anyone wants to mobile number PM me.

Aw, ripper - FREE backyard-bred pitbulls! The perfect dog for a boofhead who knows nothing about the breed but wants a muscle dog status symbol. I look forward to meeting these poor dogs at the pound where they will inevitably end up, sooner or later.

[Sheilaheel02]

I have a foster dog who I believe to be an ACD x ASTCD. He is broad, strong and muscular and his head is also massive. Recently a friend of mine saw him again and was adamant that he must have APBT in him because of the size of his skull and the shape of his jaw. While I wouldn't say it's impossible, I can't see it myself. It seems any dog that is medium to large and intimidating in appearance can be labelled a Pit Bull or Pit Bull x.

As for owners of other breeds not getting hassled - you've got to be kidding right? I've owned ACD's for most of my life and could fill the next two pages with posts of examples where I've been really insulted by peoples narrow-minded, uneducated attitudes towards my beloved dogs.

S

[Greytmate]

There were two black American pit bulls quite literally ripping him apart

Do pitbulls come in black? I thought they only came in dark brindle. Maybe these dogs were cross breds.

[Curlybert]

There were two black American pit bulls quite literally ripping him apart

Do pitbulls come in black? I thought they only came in dark brindle. Maybe these dogs were cross breds.

In my experience Canberra ones are usually a sort of caramel colour.

[poodlefan]

I have a foster dog who I believe to be an ACD x ASTCD. He is broad, strong and muscular and his head is also massive. Recently a friend of mine saw him again and was adamant that he must have APBT in him because of the size of his skull and the shape of his jaw. While I wouldn't say it's impossible, I can't see it myself. It seems any dog that is medium to large and intimidating in appearance can be labelled a Pit Bull or Pit Bull x.

As for owners of other breeds not getting hassled - you've got to be kidding right? I've owned ACD's for most of my life and could fill the next two pages with posts of examples where I've been really insulted by peoples narrow-minded, uneducated attitudes towards my beloved dogs.

S

Like people who call one of them the Wombat on Steroids?

[Moselle]

I bet if Mr Linke owned a mastiff instead of a pitbull there would have been no mention Mastiff's in relation to this incident. I would have a much easier time believing someone mistook a bullmastiff x for a pitbull... at least there is some bully in there!

Exactly

Actually as Mr Linke is someone who is against BSL, I believe he would have just to deflect attention away from a cause that he believes in.

As for the bullsmastiff x thing, many of the cross bred pig dogs up here have mastiff in them and heaps of people will get confused about their breed and say oh it must be a pitty.

I was speaking to a fella on Sat who said he hated pitbulls as his dog was attacked by 2 60kg pitbulls, i explained a few things to try and change his mind as they don't come that big. As someone said people really do get the size of dogs wrong, and in an attack every dog seems to be huge.

Mr Linke as far as I'm concerned is doing a great job in defending the pitbull, and by doing so he is defending many breeds from being added to the list.

How you possibly could have come to the conclusion that by defending the pitbull, Mr. Linke is defending other breeds? SO, getting people to shift their opinions from what they believe is an attack by a "pitbull" could possibly have been instead from a staffy or mastiff is defending other breeds? pfft...i dont think he is doing the staffy or mastiff any favours!