Feelings on BSL? Bully Breeds??

[MichelleB]

Hi!! I'm new to DU. I'm a HUGE bully fan and own two English staffy terriers. I hate that they're shunned. People will cross the street just to get away from them. When if they just gave em a second of their time, they'd love them!! Fortunately Vermont doesn't have any BSL rules, UNLESS you live in St.Albans.. but so many places do. What are you're feelings?

[socialindependocrat]

1. They don't allow bullying on DU...

Now I'm supposed to put this "sarcasm" flag up so you'll know I was kidding!

Welcome to DU!

May you have many meaningful posts!

All dogs should be treated as individuals.

[MichelleB]

19. :) :) thanks!!

I personally woulda never picked up the sarcasm. JUST KIDDING!! LOL and thanks!!

[femmocrat]

2. Welcome to DU, MichelleB!

There are many, many DUers who love and defend "pit bulls". We even have a member who runs a "pit bull" rescue. I know that Staffordshire Bull Terriers are not the same, but uneducated folks generally lump similar breeds into one category.

I am a dog lover and trainer of many years and disapprove of breed-specific laws. I'm sure others will chime in! You are among friends here.

[MichelleB]

13. Another BSL down fall!!

Thanks!! And as you well know, when they speak of "Bully Breeds", it's any group of dogs that may resemble a Pit bull Type dog. -looking like a "pit bull"- so welcome to the law. I think really it depends on the area, but some go as far as to include Bull Dogs.
When introducing my girls, I always call them what they are. English Staffordshire Terriers. The educated folk knows when I say it. I'm amused when the not as educated folk say "ohhh!! Thought it was a pit bull!!" in sure you can figure out my next statement. I think bsl is just a different form of predjudism. And that's never okay. Thanks to you who support me and live goes out to your Pit Bulls!! If anyone has a Facebook out here, I have an anti BSL page and I'm always looking for new people, positive bully stories and pictures. The page is called "Ban BSL!!-hate the deed, not the breeds!!- come check it out!!

[hlthe2b]

3. BSL= Breed Specific Legislation (I'm not sure everyone would know that)

and I am intensely opposed to it.

[MichelleB]

15. BSL= Bull Sh** Laws!!

I always forget to clarify that!! I've run into Sooo many people that really don't know what BSL means. Especially those in Vermont. As I've said, we don't have any of those here. Unless you live in st.albans. And they're finding that they're having issues adhering to it because Soo many people have breeds that can be concidered "Pit Bull Type". Aka boxers, American bull dogs, English bull dogs and the list goes on. Yet they're still not pit bulls!! So they thought by calling out APBT or American Staffordshire terriers would cover it. But that still allows room for your English staffy's and bull staffy's ect. So yet another down fall for the legislat. Too which, all I can say is HAHAHA!!!

[Still Blue in PDX]

16. Those are the words I think of when I see "BSL," too. nt

[flvegan]

4. Love them, rescue them.

BSL is the knee jerk overreaction, based in ignorance and executed through stupidity.

I have a room of rescues here waiting to be adopted out to prove it.

Welcome to DU!

[MichelleB]

18. Awesomeness!!

You are wonderful!!! If I had the room, I'd take em in and do the same!! But I don't. I DO however have a Facebook page where I post dogs in need of rescue an positive stories of breeds on the BSL list. Which is actually a lot longer then you would think.

[Kalidurga]

5. BSL makes no sense anyway..

Even if a breed is banned there are ways to breed two different dogs to at least attempt to get what you are looking for in a dog. They need to have behavior specific bans. No dog fighting, no keeping the dog outside without human interaction for long periods of time, no being mean to your dog, etc... You know the things that make it more likely a dog will turn viscous, things that can make any breed aggressive even cute little beagles.

[MichelleB]

17. Agreed!!

Last edited Tue Apr 16, 2013, 10:48 PM - Edit history (1)

I agree 100%!! What needs to be ban is ignorant people that train dogs to attack an fight. Or people that use their dogs for nothing more then breeding.

[YarnAddict]

6. Such legislation is a load of crap!!

BUT,

I had a sweet little pitbull mix for several months. Things went well. She was just the best dog imaginable; and then my black lab started having seizures, went on phenobarbitol, and the pit mix started attacking her. It was so scary. She was so strong, and determined. It took two of us to pull her off of the poor lab, so she had to go back to the shelter she had come from.

I firmly believe that any dog can be unpredictable, and can bite. The difference is that when a dog is as strong as the bully breeds, you need to have someone in charge who knows how to handle a bad situation, and who is strong enough to do it.

[Still Blue in PDX]

7. I'm sorry your adoption didn't work out.

We had an older dog who was a wonderful mentor to a Staffie puppy we adopted, but then when Daizie, the young'un, grew up they had issues. We set up the house with baby gates with the two girls taking turns in the DMZ in the middle of the house.

Honestly, seizures and dog fights are two of the most terrifying things I've had to deal with in my life.

[YarnAddict]

9. Thanks--

I still miss her. I called and e-mailed everyone I knew who might know an alternative solution, but no one had any suggestions. On New Year's Day, the lab needed 7 staples across her back to close a wound. If it had been in the neck, it would have been a tragedy. A few days later there was another attack, and it was even scarier than the previous one. We just decided that it wasn't fair to the labby, who has been with us for nearly five years.

The shelter director was very blunt--said the dog needed a strong human pack leader, and we tend to run more of a democracy here. (And since my son always votes with the two dogs, my husband and I don't win many votes!!!! )

She was adopted again, and our shelter director and Animal Control Officer are both keeping a very close eye on the situation.

[MichelleB]

14. So sorry for you.

I'm sorry you had to see that. I've seen dogs fight and it's Soo scary. Bully breeds are very determined and strong. (My little one can almost put me on my a**) AND I love how you don't single them out because you had a bad experience. I'm sorry you had that. Is it possibile the pitty was scared by the seizures?

[YarnAddict]

20. Yes, I think that is what happened

I have talked to other people with multiple dogs, and it does seem to happen when one dog has seizures. Don't know if it's the seizures themselves, or the phenobarbital, which caused my poor labby to become a zombie for many weeks. She adjusted, and is ALMOST back to her old self, but it took awhile.

[MichelleB]

21. Yay for normal!!

Yay for that!! I have, as you've read, two dogs. They've had a few minor "I'm the boss" spats, but they'd be lost without each other. I think maybe the seizure activity spooked her and she took it as a threat. Especially if they were fine together before hand. I love that though your experience was bad, you don't single them out to be vicious killers. I think a dog is as good as its raised to be.

[Still Blue in PDX]

8. BSL is a terrible idea.

Doggy eugenics.

There are dog breeds that scare me, German shepherds and St. Bernards primarily, but just because I've encountered mean ones doesn't mean they are bad breeds.

[MichelleB]

12. Well said!!

Her well said. ALL BREEDS have potential for aggression. Just as all humans. But I think to single out a selected breed claiming that they're "bad", is just ignorant to me.

[RebelOne]

10. Had 93-pound pit bull terrier,

and he was the sweetest dog ever. But when I would walk him, people coming toward me on the sidewalk would cross to the other side of the street.

[MichelleB]

11. Know the feeling!!

I have two little English Staffordshire terriers so I know how you feel. One is 11 years old and the other is almost four. My 11 year old is a rescue. She was beaten and abused in EVERYWAY possibile. Cigarettes put out on her face, broken ribs, used as a breeding bitch and everything bad you can imagine. Now she gets fed steak on Friday, walked daily, sleeps in bed with us and just basically treated like a queen. as for my other little girl, she's never seen a day of abuse in her life. We've had her since she was the size of my hand. Anyway, I can't walk them withouth at least one person crossing the street. And mine are only 45lbs!! If people would give them a shot, they'd find that the only thing dangerous on them is their tongues!! Lol. The only way I'd be afraid they'd hurt anyone is if you were to try to hurt me, one of my children or my husband. Then you might find yourself in trouble. But that's what dogs do. Or at least they're supposed to do.