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Many of these people that buy them do so because they have a bad reputation.
They want that "big bad dog" to bolster their ego and to intimidate people.
That brings us to the question that if people love them for whatever reason, then WHY are there so many in the shelters?
What reason do the people giving them up offer?
Might it be because they have such a strong doggie odor that it stinks up their house?
This is something that most people never think about, therefore this is something that should be made well known for them to take into consideration. If it was well known the breed would quickly lose its popularity.
There are several "reasons" why pit bulls are so prevalent in a shelter, people don't want them anymore, the dog got out and they don't want to pay a fine to retrieve it, the dog doesn't get along with the other dogs they have, they have too many because they never got them spayed or neutered, they can't afford them, they have to move and the new place won't allow pit bulls, the dog is too old too breed, too old to fight, not aggressive enough to fight or it's a bait dog that they don't need any more. The list goes on and on.
I've never been around any that had a bad odor or a very doggy odor unless they needed a bath just like any other dirty dog would smell if they needed a bath. Actually, from a coat/grooming standpoint they're fairly easy keepers. They certainly stay cleaner, even in a kennel setting, then my German shepherds do.
My son has a lab-pit that smells bad even tho she gets regular baths. Other people that have owned them also say they have a strong doggy odor.
You say one of the reasons they are in shelters is because "people don't want them any more". Why don't they want them? If they love the dog they will happily pay to retrieve it. Why are there not a lot of other breeds that people don't want any more? The same goes for the too old to breed etc. All excepting the part about fighting. And really, if they had been used for fighting it should be obvious. I also think that people who fight these dogs would not turn them into shelters thus be giving their activities away and getting arrested. Many places dog fighting is illegal.
So, sorry but I can't buy your reasons for there being so many of them in shelters.
My son has a lab-pit that smells bad even tho she gets regular baths. Other people that have owned them also say they have a strong doggy odor.
You say one of the reasons they are in shelters is because "people don't want them any more". Why don't they want them? If they love the dog they will happily pay to retrieve it. Why are there not a lot of other breeds that people don't want any more? The same goes for the too old to breed etc. All excepting the part about fighting. And really, if they had been used for fighting it should be obvious. I also think that people who fight these dogs would not turn them into shelters thus be giving their activities away and getting arrested. Many places dog fighting is illegal.
So, sorry but I can't buy your reasons for there being so many of them in shelters.
What makes you think people turn their dogs into shelters ? Most are just set lose and are strays. There is a huge majority of pits also as anything that resembles a staff/amstaff will be labelled as a pit. Your sons lab/pit mix would most likely just be labelled as a pit.
My son has a lab-pit that smells bad even tho she gets regular baths. Other people that have owned them also say they have a strong doggy odor.
You say one of the reasons they are in shelters is because "people don't want them any more". Why don't they want them? If they love the dog they will happily pay to retrieve it. Why are there not a lot of other breeds that people don't want any more? The same goes for the too old to breed etc. All excepting the part about fighting. And really, if they had been used for fighting it should be obvious. I also think that people who fight these dogs would not turn them into shelters thus be giving their activities away and getting arrested. Many places dog fighting is illegal.
So, sorry but I can't buy your reasons for there being so many of them in shelters.
You don't have to buy anything.
The fact that dog fighting is illegal everywhere doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It's not that rare unfortunately. The people who fight dogs usually don't turn them into shelters. The dump them somewhere. Animal control picks them up as strays (or picks of their bodies after they've died from starvation, disease or injury).
There are pit owners out there that see them as a commodity. They are used to make money. They're not pets, they're not family members. They don't love the dog and they never have.
There are a lot of breeds that people don't want anymore BUT those breeds are easier to adopt out. They don't have the stigma pits do nor are there breed restrictions regarding them at apartments or on a homeowner's insurance policy.
I've never heard of anyone saying pits (even those who are active in pit rescue) have a strong doggy odor nor have I ever witnessed it personally so clearly anecdotal evidence varies. The odor issue your son's dog has could be due to allergies or diet.
Do you seriously think the reason there are so many pits in shelters is because they have a strong doggy odor?
Do you seriously think the reason there are so many pits in shelters is because they have a strong doggy odor?
As a pit owner and shelter volunteer for several years, that's a new one on me! My sinuses might not be the best, but I've never heard anyone else say it either, until now. And I have talked to plenty of people about pit bulls, believe me.
Might it be because they have such a strong doggie odor that it stinks up their house?
This is something that most people never think about, therefore this is something that should be made well known for them to take into consideration. If it was well known the breed would quickly lose its popularity.
I have worked with numerous pits. None of them ever had any kind of a strong dog odor.
Diet, health, and lifestyle can affect any dog's health and body odor.
Well, here, almost all the dogs at Animal Control gets are pit bulls. Sadly, 90% have to be put down. I think the major problem here is the illegals since they bring the dogs for protection and give them no vet care, socialization or training. We get a lot of dog bits here. It is an unfortunate situation.
What? Where did this comment even come from? You seriously think that the reason the shelters are full of pit bulls is because people are dragging them across the border? Is "it's because of the illegals" the new "Thanks, Obama"? LOL
There are several "reasons" why pit bulls are so prevalent in a shelter, people don't want them anymore, the dog got out and they don't want to pay a fine to retrieve it, the dog doesn't get along with the other dogs they have, they have too many because they never got them spayed or neutered, they can't afford them, they have to move and the new place won't allow pit bulls, the dog is too old too breed, too old to fight, not aggressive enough to fight or it's a bait dog that they don't need any more. The list goes on and on.
I've never been around any that had a bad odor or a very doggy odor unless they needed a bath just like any other dirty dog would smell if they needed a bath. Actually, from a coat/grooming standpoint they're fairly easy keepers. They certainly stay cleaner, even in a kennel setting, then my German shepherds do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhZone My son has a lab-pit that smells bad even tho she gets regular baths. Other people that have owned them also say they have a strong doggy odor.
You say one of the reasons they are in shelters is because "people don't want them any more". Why don't they want them? If they love the dog they will happily pay to retrieve it. Why are there not a lot of other breeds that people don't want any more? The same goes for the too old to breed etc. All excepting the part about fighting. And really, if they had been used for fighting it should be obvious. I also think that people who fight these dogs would not turn them into shelters thus be giving their activities away and getting arrested. Many places dog fighting is illegal.
So, sorry but I can't buy your reasons for there being so many of them in shelters.
You may not buy Rowan's reasons but they are the precise reasons in the city I live near. Dog fighting is illegal but it occurs with regularity. For every good fighting dog bred there are many who don't cut the mustard. Some are used as bait dogs but it costs money to feed a dog to keep it active enough to entice the fighting dog so not all are kept. The fighters don't take these unwanted dogs to shelters...they just let them go. Fighting is an entertainment/money making venture for the fighters...they don't care about the dogs. So these released pits wander the city breeding among themselves and eventually populating the shelters.
Additionally, the fact that fighting occurs in specific cultural groups also results in pits being regarded as the dog to have even among non-fighters in those cultural groups since it's the dog they are familiar with due to exposure, availability, implied protection qualities and cost (free). These cultural groups also tend to not spay/neuter their pets which results in even more pits.
Most of Rowan's other reasons can have a cultural basis as well. "Love" can mean different things to different people and in a culture with a comparatively lower regard for human life (as evidenced by the high violent crime/murder rate within certain segments of the culture...at least in my city) the regard for animal life is often also lower. So it's easier to no longer want the dog when it passes the cute puppy stage and enters the challenging adolescent stage, harder to justify paying a fine for the dog's return, easier to let the dog go instead of making the effort to find a new home, etc.
IMO the bottom line reason that pits are so prevalent in shelters is cultural. High population cities with cultures who engage in dog fighting and whose values result in a large number of unwanted and stray dogs have fed this prevalence.
The reason so many people adopt pits is simple...there are so many of them to adopt and they often make fabulous family companions.
On the odor issue...Labs can have a slightly oily outer coat as part of their water resistant coat quality which can result in a doggy odor.
Same reason people loved Rottweilers ten years ago, and German shepherds ten years before that, golden retrievers ten years before that, and some other breed ten years before that. It's a trend and is currently fashionable to be into pit bulls. People just follow the trends.
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My sinuses might not be the best, but I've never heard anyone else say it either, until now. And I have talked to plenty of people about pit bulls, believe me.
You seriously think that the reason the shelters are full of pit bulls is because people are dragging them across the border? Is "it's because of the illegals" the new "Thanks, Obama"? LOL