Raise the Hammer

I sat next to a total stranger in a restaurant two nights ago and struck up a conversation with him. The conversation lasted two hours. I will probly never see this man again (unless we happen to stop by the same place again.) He turned out to be the owner of the "pit bull" who rescued a 4 year old from drowning at a beach. He keeps the newpaper clipping in his wallet. The conversation was deep. All of it about "pit bulls" and dogs in general. I own a Doberman from European working lineage. Cop quality lineage.

Why...because they are (to me) the most noble, loving loyal breed out there, as are other working group dogs. Owning a working group dog requires a LOT of responsibility on the part of the owner. A lot of socialization, a lot of obedience training (REAL obedience training) and exposure to EVERYTHING life has to offer like crowds, kids, elderly & their walking aids & breathing devices, noises, other dogs, and most importantly people who are irresponsible with their dogs who you encounter EVERY day. Those rotties were NOT owned by responsible people. Dogs should be put outside to relieve themselves and that's it. Exercise should be allowed by means of training in a classroom environment or on a leash and leash-free parks (IF the dog is socialized and able to go to leash-free parks). The mind has to be stimulated as much as the body by means of obedience training. One hour of obedience training in classroom environment is more tiring than 2 hours of running in a park for my dog. If all this is started from the tender age of 8-12 weeks I believe 99.9% of dogs will be safe in any environment at any time. There are very few exceptions however those are the ones who have to be extra responsible. I train my Doberman 4 nights a week. I have done so since she was 13 weeks old. Discipline by means of a 6 foot training lead & a collar blended evenly with praise and encouragement is all it takes to have a good K9 citizen. I have a CKC recognized title called the "CGN" Canine Good Neighbor on my dogs registered papers. It now officially appears after her registered name. EVERY large breed or working group dog owner should get this title whether they own a registered dog or not. It is a temperament and obedience test. It is more than a CKC title. It certifies YOU and your dog as exactly what the name suggests ;….. K9 good neighbor. My dog does nursing home visitations and though never left alone, is trusted to play with the smallest child and I don’t even have children…except her.
Breed bans and the generalization of it all scares me. My dog is a very good dog yet I've been discriminated against several times while out minding my own business with my dog. What if that persons fear of my innocent dog makes them feel they need to report me for no good reason? Then what? I have to fear that my CGN titled dog is in danger because someone was afraid of her from across the street? My heart breaks for dogs of the "pit bull" persuasion as well as other working group dogs out there who have lost their lives because our government is ignorant and uneducated and feels the need to make blanket rules for the minority. Bill 132 is going to kill a lot of dogs, upset a lot of responsible owners and lead to other breeds being banned which will repeat the entire vicious circle again and again until we end up like a communist country where no dogs are allowed. Personally I’m sick of our government ruling for the minority and taking more and more freedoms away from law biding responsible people who FAR outweigh the number of irresponsible. I’m tired of the minority whining to get their way and the government ruling in their favor regarding more than just the “pit bull” issue. In all situations where banning is considered, why don’t they just punish the wrong doers and leave the innocent alone? Where are the rights and freedoms Canada is known for giving to it’s citizens? How are we a free country if we can’t own a certain breed of dog, or gun, or listen to a certain singer? Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Dogs don’t kill people, irresponsible people in charge of the lives of those dogs kill people. Rap singers don’t cause teenagers to kill people, the people in charge of raising those teenagers don’t instill morals and guidance and discipline into those teenagers LONG before they become teenagers. Why? Because the government has ruled in favor of the minority. The minority being; Abusive parents, mauled people by dogs (turned bad by irresponsible owners), messed kids (from lack of discipline) that hurt others “ because a song persuaded them to” and same for those who shoot people. All this banning started long before the dogs and it’s snowballing into a mess. It all started when the government decided to start ruling for the minority and creating blanket rules for everyone as knee jerk reactions to the most severe cases of irresponsibility. Innocent people and now dogs suffer because of it. So much deeper than just breed banning.