Pit bull police dog defies breed's savage stereotypes

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Pit bull police dog defies breed's savage stereotypes

David Klepper, Associated Press

Updated 1:04 am, Friday, November 13, 2015

STONE RIDGE, N.Y. (AP) — The new rookie at one New York police department weighs 60 pounds, has a big, lolling tongue, a soft caramel coat and a chance to fight stereotypes in addition to crime.

When she graduates Friday from K9 training school, Kiah will be one of just a few pit bulls to serve as a police dog. It's a job usually given to breeds that don't come with the pit bull's reputation — deserved or not — as a savage animal fit only for the company of criminals.

"The breed isn't important," said Brad Croft, who trains dogs for law enforcement and the military and found Kiah in a Texas animal shelter after her previous owner was arrested for animal cruelty. "It's what's inside of the dog that's important."

German shepherds and Belgian Malinois are most commonly employed as police and military dogs, trained to chase and detain suspects or find drugs, cadavers and missing people. Beagles, collies, retrievers and bloodhounds are also used. Pit bull police dogs are almost unheard of.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Pit-bull-police-dog-defies-breed-s-savage-6629024.php

[uppityperson]

1. K&R for "any dog with a muscular frame and block-shaped head"

[fbc]

2. There's a lawsuit waiting to happen

[get the red out]

3. The title misrepresents the article

The dog will be trained as a sniffer dog rather than one trained to bring down criminals. All dogs have amazing scent detection skills; but particular lines of Malinois and German Shepherd Dogs are bred for apprehending criminals. There is no reason why this dog can't be trained for detection and it is a great policy to train dogs from shelters to do this.

I will get slammed for this, but Pit Bulls often have some dog aggression from being bred for dog fighting. I wish that would be acknowledged. Not all inherit the traits bred into them, just like there are Border Collies that can't herd. Sorry, I an still a bit raw from a small dog being killed by a PB at the hotel I stayed in last weekend when me and my dog participated in an agility trial.

[mopinko]

8. no, you are right.

a good bully breed is the best dog out there for a family pet. but the aggression is most definitely in the genetic make up. people who breed them for that have to work to get it in every pup. it isnt universal. but it is there.
doesnt mean the dog is flat out mean. i have 2 big bully dogs, victorians, half brothers. both are very sweet w people, including little kids. one reacts not at all to other dogs, not even interested in playing w them. the other is a menace to other dogs, and has to wear a prong collar on walks. he doesnt even think about it, usually. after a lot of work he will walk past the neighborhood loud mouths, but if your dog is wandering around off leash he will be on it.
he is a fantastic dog in all other respects. but these dogs were raised together, and i certainly did nothing to encourage that kind of behavior. in fact did the opposite.

it is in there.

[get the red out]

9. You are a responsible dog guardian

Knowing breed traits and learning to be responsible where those are concerned is extremely important.

Now I am going to have to go look up "Victorians"; since I am curious about all things "dog".

[mopinko]

13. one of several strains built by people trying to straighten out the bulldog.

victorians, olde english, mollets. there are others. the victorian standard is to return the dog to the working dog that they were when bull baiting was outlawed. the added american bullies and dog du bordeaux (sp?), a mastiff.
the good boy is everything a bully dog should be. big, gentle, love sponge. everyone who knows him is convinced that he loves them especially.
still have a few issues. the bad boy is getting hip replacement soon, and the jolly roll needed plastic surgery on his eye lids, and has moderately bad hips.
but the standard includes breeding and whelping naturally, breathing freely, at least a 1" stop on the muzzle and a straight tail. both have the preferred "pump handle" tail.
the bad boy is more straight bodied, a little taller, longer in the muzzle, but biff is the usually pear shaped, short legged, wrinkle faced bully. both have big heads, but not freakish big. both breathe without much sound. both are big boys- 90 and 100 lbs.

if i ever go looking for another pup i will track down a mollet. told they all have good hips.

both super terrific dogs. never felt safer than when i have my big boys cuddled up in bed w me, nor more loved.

[LTG]

4. I guess my experiences have been very different from the stereotypes

My own encounters with pitbulls have been mainly with American Stafford Terriers and American Bulldogs. i frequently encounter them while walking my dog Cash, a German Shorthaired Pointer. I've also run into them at dog parks and even at Home Depot.

Among the dogs I've met, each and everyone has been a tail wagging sweetheart. I recently met a Bluenose at a dog park. He and Cash had a great time running and chasing until they were both worn out.

I've read the stories of attacks and fatalities by these dogs, I have always felt the stories were more about terrible owners than supposedly terrible dogs. Maybe my experiences have been just too narrow.

As a second comment on the article, my son's dog is named Kiah. An Australian Aboriginal name meaning "from a beautiful place".

[Lurks Often]

5. I've probably seen 10 "pitbulls" come through the shelter rescue I volunteer at

and none have been aggressive in the slightest and several of them have been some of the nicest dogs I've met in the 30+ I've been around dogs. We currently have a 75 lb Staffordshire Terrier who is just a big, happy, sweet and goofy boy who is very outgoing and friendly.

Blame the human, not the dog

[marble falls]

6. Every single "bad" pit bull I've ever seen was owned by someone who probably needed....

jailing for mistreatment of the animal. Or should have never been given the care of any animal ever.

[Laser102]

7. Adopted a pit bull mix in July and we have had some difficulty with her.

She keeps on licking and kissing us and we haven't been able to accomplish much because we're busy hugging her and giving her lots of love. Love my baby.

[get the red out]

10. Can't hold her "licker"

Our Border Collie can't either.

[CountAllVotes]

11. awwww

That is so very sweet!

[dem in texas]

12. Love my big ole' Winnie

We live in a bad part of town and I like to have a good watch dog. Last one I had was a Bouvier who was the best watch dog ever. But her coat was high maintenance, especially in the Texas summer. When she died of old age, I didn't get a new dog right away. Then my husband found one our neighbor's pit bull puppies caught in barbed wire out in the alley. The neighbor was not taking care of the mom and pups and one of our neighbors caught some puppies and took them to the Humane Society. Animal control came by and picked up the mother and the two pups that were left. The only one they could not catch was my Winnie.

When my husband found her, I told him she was not going back and were keeping her. She was a runt, infested with fleas, had tape worms and hook worms, was anemic and very weak, not to mention being cut up from the barbed wire. We got her doctored up and put her on a good diet and she thrived (she weighs over 50 pounds now). She was a handfull when she was puppy, play snapping and biting at everything, but soon outgrew that.

We've had her four years now and she has made a wonderful pet and a great watch dog. She likes you if she knows you, but strangers better look out. We have a huge back yard with an 8 foot tall fence so she has plenty of room to play. If we go out in the front, we always put her on her leash. I feel safe with a her in the house and she sleeps curled up around my legs at night. Last year when I was getting chemo and sick as could be, she was such a comfort. She'd jump up on the bed beside me, like she knew I not feeling well and she'd give me lots of big, slurpy dog kisses.

Don't believe all the bad stuff you hear about pit bulls, it is the owners who make them mean. Yes, they do have an instinct to bite just like our old Brittany always pointed butterflies because he had the pointing instinct. But they also have the instinct to love their masters and try to protect them in the best way they know how.

The City of Dallas puts down 10-12 pitbull mixes every day (read in DMN). So sad.