Thursday, February 12, 2015

The Problem with Pit Bull Service Dogs

Sue Manning, long-time pit bull promotor and journalist for AP, has written an article about rescue pit bulls being trained as service dogs.  (YIKES)  She mentions two organizations doing this -  Animal Farm Foundation, the best funded pit bull ownership advocacy organization in the world,  and Pits for Patriots in Chicago.  When we first blogged about Pits for Patriots in 2012, this outfit was less than a year old, and they had not yet placed any pit bulls as service dogs for veterans with  PTSD.  They noted that they started with four candidates, but that two had washed out.  There's a photo below of the two successful training candidates fitted with prong collars.  Today, three years later, they still haven't placed any service dogs with a veteran and the two candidates below both developed a case of the dog aggression for which there is no cure.

They are up for adoption.  The white one, Odie, had to have his CGC and Therapy Dog certificates revoked.  He must go to an experienced pit bull owner who will not "set him up to fail."  FYI: That means potential owners must set up strict containment and movement protocols with zero margin of error allowable or there will be a bloodbath.  And to think he was once a therapy dog.


Pits for Patriots cites as their inspiration two "successful" pit bull service dog organizations, one in New York, and one in Tampa Bay, Florida.

The Tampa Bay organization, called Pit Bulls 4 Patriots, was founded with the intention of training rescued pit bulls as service dogs for veterans with PTSD. Unfortunately, by the time the Chicago Pits for Patriots had cited them as their inspiration, Pit Bulls 4 Patriots had already been forced to abandon their original concept. They retooled and renamed themselves Hounds 4 Heros, a program that uses rescued greyhounds instead. Why? The pit bulls were not working out as service dogs. They took too long to train, and they found that pit bulls were too "sensitive" to work with handlers with PTSD because they "reflected" the symptoms of their handler's PTSD. Evidently, the pit bulls were exhibiting common symptoms of PTSD: anger, irritability, hyper-vigilance, and anxiety whenever their owners did. Irritable pit bull service dogs. N o  T h a n k  Y o u.


In addition, the wonderful pit bull "washouts" could not be easily adopted so the founders of the organization are now the proud owners of a boatload of pits. Rescue pit bulls, it seems, are not inherently (genetically), suited to service dog work.  Unfortunately Hounds 4 Heros not only took down the page the above quote comes from, there is no archive of it either.

However, Hounds 4 Heros has written in depth about just what makes rescued greyhounds such great candidates as service dogs for veterans.  Knowing that they were forced to scrap their original concept, it is not hard to read between the lines.  It seems that greyhounds possess inherent (genetic) characteristics that that make them good PTSD service dogs and pit bulls do not:

"In our search for the "perfect" PTSD service dog, we are very excited to have Murray join us. Greyhounds tend to be calm, loving but not pushy, caring but not overly sensitive, and are happy to relax and go wherever their person needs them to be."

This second quote speaks directly to their experience with pit bulls and they speak to both genetic and a reasonably knowable and appropriate early experience for the greyhounds:
Our dogs are carefully selected for having exceptionally calm and stable temperaments. We like working with greyhounds because we do not have to train over any strong genetically bred instincts and drives (such as protection/guarding, being territorial, herding, dog aggression, or hunting). It was surprising for us to learn that although some greyhounds have a strong prey drive, most do not. While growing to adulthood in preparation for racing, greyhounds remain in daily contact with their litter mates and other hounds. They are spared from the jarring loss of their pack at an exceedingly young age, unlike most other dogs, who are bred and quickly sold as pets. This continued companionship with their own kind is extremely healthy for balanced brain development and canine social skills. Since they are being groomed to become racing dogs, their lives are disciplined, with plenty of exercise, routines, and very clear guidance from all the humans they come in contact with. As a result, they tend to be peacefully submissive to people, and easily accept direction. This is very helpful in their new roles as service dogs for our PTSD veterans.

This next quote perfectly explains the very real dangers of trying to shape dogs bred for fighting into service dogs:
We can't overstate the importance of the balanced minds and good nature of these dogs for their job as psychiatric service dogs. It is critical that our dogs are going to be calm and stable "on their own" without the necessity of great guidance and leadership from their handler. When living with someone who has fluctuating weak energy and leadership skills, such as anyone with a psychiatric disorder, a dog will revert to its genetically bred instincts and/or to default behaviors learned in puppyhood. Skilled training can override weaknesses in temperament and high-drive instinctual behaviors, but our PTSD handlers will not be able to maintain training over the top of these things. The longer the team spends together, the more the dog's training would "unravel" and revert to the genetic predisposition of the dog. Examples of this would be an unbalanced German Shepherd who falls back inappropriately to his instinct to guard and bite when threatened, or a herding dog who neurotically begins nipping at the feet and heels of anything that moves around his person. With the greyhounds their default is to either relax, or quietly withdraw into themselves. As a result, they don't act out, become dangerously unbalanced, or create problems for their handlers or the public. They are able to maintain and return to their trained behaviors with relative ease.These gentle, intelligent, and malleable dogs respond very well to our positive training methods. They are able to perform the many kinds of tasks and work that most benefit people who face the daunting challenge of living with PTSD.

And that is the crucial issue for safety - what instincts (genetically controlled behavior) does the dog default to when not under guidance or under the guidance of someone who is not an expert dog handler.

Animal Farm Foundation is the other pit bull service training dog organization mentioned in Manning's article. They are going at it the right way. They have put out a nationwide call for pit bull service dog candidates that they will evidently transport to the Farm at their own expense. They must figure that by casting an enormous net, they will be able to find one or two pit bull outliers with the temperament of a lab.  But the best news is Animal Farm Foundation now admits that anyone can identify a pit bull, because they will accept any dog that was identified by anyone at a shelter as a pit bull for the program.  They have evidently already placed five pit bull service dogs with handlers, but stopped promoting their feat after blogging about the first three.  The serviceman with PTSD and his dog are not listed as being one of the pit bull service dogs placed by AFF.

Stunt pit bull service dogs are dangerous for the reasons Hounds 4 Heros outlined above.  And Animal Farm Foundation's efforts to promote pit bulls as service dogs and to emphasize that you can train your service dog yourself makes them even more dangerous.

Here is a video of a rottweiler service dog.  The owner/handler/trainer of this dangerous breed dog was billed as South Africa's Dog Whisperer  - a supposedly Ace dog trainer.  The Rottweiler is supposedly his service dog.  Watch the service dog launch a predatory attack on a little girl in a restaurant.




In many respects, pit bull service dogs are silly stunts.  If it takes 4 years to train a dog to be a service animal, one can conclude that dog is not really suited to the job.  This is just like BFAS crowing about a fight bust dog getting a CGC certificate after 6 years of training when normal dogs need only 8 to 10 weeks of basic obedience classes to become a good citizen.  But, even if all of Animal Farm Foundation's pit bulls are truly cream puff pit bull outliers, they are encouraging everyone to pick up a rescue pit bull, train it up themselves, and seat it under the restaurant table next to yours.  Bon Appetit!

Read more:
Service and Therapy Pit Bulls that Turned Pit Bull
defrocking the asshole priests of the savage lion tamer cult
Animal Farm Foundation Service Dogs
Anyone can ID a Pit Bull for AFF's Service Dog Program
AP syndicated article by Sue Manning New York Times

65 comments:

  1. I strongly object to the use of PTSD 'service dogs' due to the fact there is a cure for PTSD: http://www.nwmedicalhypnosis.com/documents/The%20treatment%20of%20combat%20veterans%20using%20EFT.pdf I also object to the use of 'service dogs' for emotional and mental conditions because we have drugs and treatments for these conditions. This is what happens when people are allowed to decide for themselves if a dog is suitable for 'service dog' status: http://www.albrittain.com/veterans/active-duty-fort-campbell-soldiers-ptsd-service-dog-kills-child/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Medications may work fine for some, but not for all.

      Delete
  2. Ka D I agree that service dogs should not be used for PTSD. For one thing PTSD can be temporary for some, yet the service dogs would be placed with an owner for life. It also leads to opening the door wide for others with emotional/mental disorders as someone will say that discrimination and favoritism towards one diagnosis or another is unconstitutional. Then service dogs will be everywhere for Bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders.. and the whole game of disorders.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You fear dogs running a muck and unmedicated people handling them?

      Delete
  3. B-I-N-G-501(c)(3).

    Seriously, this is all about raising sweet, sweet tax exempt dough.

    In addition to the pit grifting, I also object to the use of "service" animals for mental and emotional conditions. Pets are wonderful things and can truly soothe the troubled soul, but not to the point of tax exemption.

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    Replies
    1. And who are you to pass judgement on those in need of an emotional support animal? Speaking as someone who suffers from severe bipolar disorder, panic anxiety and bad depression, you couldn't be more wrong. Medications only do so much and they aren't a magic "cure all" so any disorder. Depending on the severity of the mental illness, they could have an episode that overpowers the strength of the medication. I've been on multiple rounds of meds since I was a child and they do help but I still suffered. Since adopting an emotional support animal I feel happier than I ever have. She lessens my anxiety significantly and just brings an element of joy and purpose to my life that simply can't be obtained by traditional methods. I fully support the use of ESA and therapy dogs for people like myself. My point is, don't judge others if you don't know what they're going through.

      Delete
  4. I think it is the pit bull ownership advocates that have popularized having service dogs and ones that supposedly mitigate invisible psychological or emotional conditions are of course easier to fake.

    I also think that the military decided to stop funding for programs that provide service dogs for PTSD for soldiers after that fatality.

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  5. brilliant snack sized dog. you are better at this than i am.

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  6. Pit Bull "service dog"? What could go wrong?

    (chortles)

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  7. KA-CHING, there goes the sweet money!! With all the huraaah for our vets they hoped to corner a market for their pit products. Well... I love and respect our returning soldiers and would hate to see them become another casualty of our war at home with the pit bull cartel. The insanity of these people just boggles the mind.

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  8. "I love and respect our returning soldiers and would hate to see them become another casualty of our war at home with the pit bull cartel."

    Yes.

    Thank you kind Scurrilous Amateur Blogger, but I beg to differ! You have knack for dissecting the shriveled hearts and brains of those who possess craven desires better than anyone I know.

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  9. Notice how other service dogs, don't get the breed treatment?

    Golden Retriever Service Dog. Labrador Retriever Service Dog. Beagle Service Dog. Bernese Mountain Therapy Dog.

    They're all just service dogs.

    Once again, nutters have something to prove. It's hilarious that pit bulls will go against everything they try and accomplish. Can't they get one pit bull to act like a normal service dog?

    It does feel good to be proven correct. Pit bulls are not service dogs, are untrainable, and are worthless.

    BAM

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  10. Great article, Snack Sized Dog, you knocked this one out of the park!

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  11. Very good read. I have a question regarding Pits for patriots -- on their website it was written "Odie like Mira, has passed both his CGC and TD testing. Unfortunately, Odie has grown to dislike other dogs and loud noises requiring us to revoke his titles." How does a CGC "title" get revoked? What does it say about the nature of that test. And what is therapy dog testing? And what good is that test if a dog passes and then the "title" is revoked? CNYC

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  12. I am the anonymous commenter at 2:14.

    Snack Size, you did a fantastic job writing an article that really touches a nerve. Scam charities that prey off of veterans, the elderly, or the mentally ill really get to me in a way that few other things do. The Westboro Baptist people also fall into same category.

    The reason why I was grumbling about tax exemption for fake charities is because they siphon off tax money for the woefully underfunded programs set up to help those in need. And that really makes me angry to see veterans not able to get the care and treatment they deserve.

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  13. 5:48

    All good questions. It gets "revoked" when or if the owner says it is and I've never heard of that before. I think they mean they're not going to try to unload the pit bull saying its a certified therapy dog. And that does bring up the question - if you get these certifications when the pit bull is young, it means nothing when pittie "turns on" later.


    Thanks, Slugger!

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  14. "Scam charities that prey off of veterans, the elderly, or the mentally ill really get to me in a way that few other things do." Agreed. Its the money, and also using veterans to "improve" a fighting breed dog's "image." And thank you Bingo!

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  15. Excellent article! I have to give kudos for the pits for patriots group for 1)seeing the light, and 2) being honest enough to admit their dog of choice was not the right one for that job. It makes the AFF look even worse for doubling down and pushing pits on people as service dogs.

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  16. Relevant:

    http://www.yakimaherald.com/home/2148296-8/pit-bull-service-dog-attacks-three-people-in

    http://www.kimatv.com/home/video/City-officials-seeing-falsified-applications-to-have-pit-bulls-as-service-dogs-261604431.html

    http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/20/pets-allowed

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  17. Pibble, that New Yorker article is great! Thank you!

    Fake service dogs and ESA confusion are both problems, and Yakima is the prime example of completely obvious fakes causing destruction.

    That is slightly different but highly related to what I was looking at - programs that are attempting to genuinely train pit bulls and other dangerous breed dogs for service dogs.

    Both of these activities are dangerous, will end up getting people hurt or killed, destroy the public's confidence in genuine/appropriate service dogs, and sour people on the whole concept because, while people who don't like dogs might be comfortable being near the very occasional well-trained and gentle genuine service dog, too many people are gagging and vomiting on planes these days because an asshole decides they want to bring their dog or their pig for free and it fouls the tiny cylinder everyone is hurtling through the air in.

    The point that I hope came across is that attempting to train dangerous breed dogs to be service dogs is dangerous because you want and need a dog that defaults to the genetically controlled passive behavior if and when everything goes wrong. No matter how much training is put on a dangerous breed dog by a whiz bang trainer, the dangerous breed dog will still be dangerous because it has genetically controlled default behaviors that are dangerous and that will emerge when a situation is less than optimal.

    I am going to past that New Yorker article along!

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  18. Have any of you read the book Until Tuesday? It's about a legit service dog, not just an emotional support dog but one who helps his owner with some physical tasks. A great read, and I really liked learning about real programs that train real dogs to help people. Tuesday has been attacked by pit bulls, I think twice now. I even think therapy pets are ok, in the right circumstances. Most senior citizens enjoy some company after their spouses pass and I see nothing wrong with them have calm lap dogs as companions.

    You can get any animal certified I think, which does open the door to grifters. My pet rats are therapy animals in the same sense any pet is, they like to be loved on and it makes my son and me feel better to love and play with them. Our lone gerbil makes us laugh. I guess technically that's therapy. However since my landlord is ok with my pets, I don't need to take advantage of some loophole to keep them. So they're all just pets, no certification needed. Why would we need therapy pets? Honestly, I could argue if I HAD to, that my son needs them to help calm him. I made the mistake of living with a guy who was emotionally abusive to both of us and got physically abusive with me one time a year after my husband died. My son has a few residual issues that we're working with the school and therapists to help him get through. Still, I just cleared it before I got them and if we were to move, I'd make sure the next place allowed caged pets.

    About the types of people who have pit bulls as therapy dogs. My son and me were walking from Dollar General one day and a kid who I'd known when she was young recognized me. She was walking with a boy with a pit bull. We kept our distance because the pit puppy was trying to lunge at my 7 year old. The boy was laughing and telling me how he is bipolar and has the dog certified and only had to pay $40 on the internet to do it. He also told me the dog "loves kids, he won't hurt your son", and, "he hates cats and other dogs already". He seemed to think it was all a joke. How many more of him are there in the world? If their dog decides to attack, and is killed, will they be able to sue for loss of emotional support, or some other bogus thing?

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  19. Someone I know (an acquaintance, definitely not a friend) used to bring two very high-content wolfdogs (possibly pure wolves) to senior centers as "therapy animals." Needless to say, the animals weren't certified in any way, but somehow he convinced people that there was no problem with bringing wolves to jump on top of bedridden senior citizens.

    Of course, it came to no surprise to me when one or both animals severely attacked him one day when he was feeding them. The female (Renata) lived at the W.O.L.F. sanctuary in Colorado for a short time: http://www.wolfsanctuary.net/animals-spirit.html

    Note that the website says the animals were rehomed after the caretaker "injured himself badly?" What they neglected to mention is that the wolfdogs attacked him. W.O.L.F. admitted this in a print version of the magazine (which also showed photos of the wolfdogs at a senior center) but they must have changed the story since then. I'll see if I can dig up a copy of the magazine with the photos. It's sheer insanity.

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  20. Here's the photo I was talking about. The wolfdogs at a hospice home: http://imgur.com/1RD9wLM

    Incidentally, the guy that paraded them around as therapy wolves (his name is Harry Kyle) is not a "sanctuary" but more like a borderline hoarder. He's also a zoophile and was reportedly kicked out of Wolfdog Rescue Resources once it came to light that he was using animals for sex acts.

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  21. "therapy animal",nothing more than self heating security blanket that poops.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I would shit bricks if I was in the hospital and someone brought a wolf in. Who was the genius that okay'd that?

    I had a friend many years ago that had a wolf. I didn't understand the point. First of all, illegal. Secondly, dangerous. Thirdly, what kind of life did it have in a totally enclosed cage? I remember being brought out to the enclosure to meet the wolf. I can't tell you why I went along with it. I stood far enough away from it, but it still managed to hit my hip with its paw. When I saw how gigantic the paw print was, I about pee'd myself. I was pretty much done, and wanted away from the wolf. If I remember correctly, it was also chained up. WHY? WHY would anyone need that as a pet?

    TOTALLY STUPID!

    BAM

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  23. AMBASSADOR WOLVES?!

    wtf is wrong with the human race?

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  24. Our library brings in a legit service dog once a month. A beautiful, calm golden. She's there for the kids to read to, and she clearly loves her job. She lays with them and appears to listen intently. It helps some of the kids who struggle to read, it helps other kids who just want the chance to read aloud. She also visits children's wards in hospitals and nursing homes. Those are the types of animals that should be service and/or therapy dogs. Not wolves, rotts, pits and other unpredictable types that can rip you apart.

    I want to clarify, I have no interest in getting our pets certified. One of my son's counselors did suggest a small pet for him and I cleared it with the landlord first. They do what pets are supposed to, give him something else to love, something to share secrets and play with, and help teach him some responsibility and respect for other living creatures. They don't go everywhere with us, not only can they cause allergies, but their immune systems aren't as strong as some other animals. Also, I don't believe in forcing my pets on other people. So the only time they go with us is if they need to see a vet. They do come out on our front porch either in our hands or in the small cage for some fresh air in decent weather, but they don't get down for their own protection.

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    1. You DO realize that Goldens and labs can do the same thing? While my lab is gentle, what stops him from turning on to someone and attacking them? Happens with every breed. You are ignorant.

      Delete
  25. Veterans who risked their lives for their country deserve the very best service dogs. They shouldn't have to settle for pit bulls, which which don't even make good pets.

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  26. Banned on military bases, and needing prong collars. Just too sensitive to be service dogs. It's only a matter of time before one of these stunt pibbles spill some blood. That will be a good thing for a veteran with PTSD to witness. I need my own therapy dog to take with me when I go to Petsmart.

    How many of you pit bull victims have a healthy case of PTSD? I have never been diagnosed, but I shake when I see a pit bull after I watched one munch on my dog.

    Yep, I'm getting me a therapy dog. It's going to be a Wolf/Chow cross, or maybe a Tiger. I'm a sucker for great big kitty cats, and fluffy critters give me comfort, especially if they are a good match for a pibble.

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  27. Meals, how about PTSD from a pittie owner? The dogs were fine, it was the owner who put his hands on me. The giant ugly monster pit next door, isn't causing the PT part, but it definitely adds stress and makes it hard to function in life. A good reason to carry the knife and keep the shovel sharp and handy. Isn't wasp spray supposed to be a half decent way to stop them? If so, I need to buy some before it even gets warm out. Two cans and teach my 7 year old how to use it in case he wants to play with the boy in the back.

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  28. Trisha, I like your point very much. People who have pets find them therapeutic in some way. That's why we have pets. I'd prefer that the Tampa Bay Hounds 4 Heros just say they were offering veterans with PTSD some very well trained non-aggressive pets. It is still a very fine service to perform for vets who find having a docile dog therapeutic.

    Legit service dogs are beautiful to behold.

    The photo of the wolves in the hospice makes me ill. What an disgusting cretin.

    If its a therapy animal arms race, I'm going full Jurassic Park and cloning a raptor. And I will name him cuddles.

    Some people have said wasp spray works for them, but the wind can be a problem, especially for the 7 year old. Other people say fire extinguishers work, but I don't know if there any that are small enough for a 7 year old.

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  29. Thank you Snack Size. It's going to be a long summer unless the dog does me a huge favor and attacks one of it's moronic owners first. I'd like to be able to use my porch, let my son play out of sight, and spend time at home with our pets. However, with one of Satan's own offspring right next door, we might have to spend all day, every day at the park and library just to be safe and never cook on my grill or let him play with the neighborhood kids. I pay my rent and I pay my bills and my late husband and father served in the military, yet thanks to scum, we're not free to enjoy our little neighborhood. I know it's wrong to wish an attack on a human, but please let it be one of the owners, not one of the rest of us.

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  30. A short time ago, Tia Torres was advertising on her Villalobos website that she would be training pit bull service dogs, but that message seems to have quietly disappeared.

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  31. I hav pittbul sevice dog, u need to edukate yoursekf my pittbul is savin my life every day.

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  32. Remember Spike, the lifer pit bull in the shelter? It was featured in a
    video where a shelter worker played a shell game with it, moving three metal cups at turtle speed, with a piece of food under one. Spike watched with a Thorazined stare till the whirlwind
    stopped. Pause....the worker heavily tapped the correct cup, Spike became life-like, and knocked over the goodie. Many congratulations! Throw a harness on the zomboid and send it into traffic!

    ReplyDelete
  33. "Anonymous said...
    I hav pittbul sevice dog, u need to edukate yoursekf my pittbul is savin my life every day.

    February 14, 2015 at 12:30 PM"

    Snarky, is that you?

    If not,

    Dear Nutter,

    Please go back to school. You obviously failed at it, and more notably, you fail at your choice in pets.

    We ARE educated. It's quite presumptuous to assume that we are not. Especially when you don't have a grasp on grammar, let alone spelling. You spelled 8 words wrong out of 18. EIGHT!

    But hay! What do we no? We are unedukated.

    BAM

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  34. ^^ Thank you Bam! A good laugh is a very fine thing.

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  35. Some clown tried to tell me she had a pit bull seeing eye dog. Somehow Guide Dogs for the Blind forget to mention pit bulls as one of the breeds they train. "The other breeds we use include:

    Golden Retrievers

    Standard Poodles

    Lab/Golden crosses

    German Shepherds

    Smooth Coat Collies" http://www.guidedog.org/Content.aspx?id=2516

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  36. Bam that was me just channeling a nutter with a service dog.
    Only eight words spelled wrong?
    Next time i will try better.
    Because "A good laugh is a very fine thing" and it really is.
    John Tawaroa.

    ReplyDelete
  37. John,

    You did such a good job, I thought it was an authentic nutter. I don't know if I'm mad at you for tricking me, or impressed with your skills. I'll get back to you.

    BAM

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  38. The last link, "AP syndicated article by Sue Manning New York Times" showed up in my newspaper Sunday. They had a picture of the "pit bull." It didn't look like a pit bull to me, but what do I know? I'm trying to find it online. This one has a different picture...

    http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/rescued-pit-bulls-fight-stigma-guiding-people-28892053

    HERE WE GO! AN EVEN BETTER PICTURE! Of course it could be found at the illustrious Huffington Post!

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/11/pit-bull-service-dog_n_6662462.html

    BAM

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  39. This is the picture I saw in my paper.

    http://www.komonews.com/news/national/Rescued-pit-bulls-fight-stigma-by-guiding-people-in-need-291543141.html

    If you do an image search, with the title, you'll see a BUNCH of pictures.

    BAM

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  40. I'm sorry, but I can't read anymore of that crap. I read the first "report." As soon as I started reading the garbage from Animal Farm, I had to stop. That I can't look at a dog, and determine what kind of behavior I can expect from it, is news to me! I guess the so called experts know something I don't? They are willing to go to any extreme to keep their maulers. DISGUSTING!

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  41. Oh yeah, forgot to sign that,

    BAM

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  42. Last year a family in my apartments, with a very mentally ill 8yr old, got her 2 pit bull puppies as therapy animals. After several months I finally got the dogs kicked out; the owners didn't fight it because the dogs had become unmanageable even at only 7 months.
    About a month or so ago, I saw the same girl with a new dog- a golden retriever, older, and totally chill. THATS an appropriate service dog, for a kid that really needs one.

    The very worst thing about this asinine idea is that your average idiot pit bull worshipper- like those neighbors of mine- use it to bring these dogs into libraries, schools, hospitals and to move them into apartments with bans. Some are true believers with real disabilities, but most are straight up liars. This means no where is safe!

    I cannot tell you how often I have been in the library and seen a mauler (usually owned by a bum). I always ask security to remove them, but 1) if they know the "code words", they cannot be removed legally and 2) The pit has already been a threat by the time I see it.
    This is a problem DIRECTLY due to this service dog crap.

    Did I mention the library (like most of these places) is a weapon free zone, so its illegal to carry a knife our other way to protect yourself. While I agree you shouldn't be bringing guns etc into a library, this means pits ought to be banned too.

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  43. Very few people need a service dog so much they have to bring it every place they go. Andthe rare legit ones are obviously preforming a job, not just being a pet.

    I think there are some pets that can be trained to be helpful (or belong to a breed especially noted for those behaviors... example, getting a retriever to bring you things). But, those are just pets that are helpful. They should only go where such pets are allowed.

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  44. Oh, and MOST pit bulls are too unpredictable to go a lot of places..There are rare exceptions, but back in the day, no one would dream of taking a pit anywhere and everywhere

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  45. Did you hear that Mickey the service mauler has cancer? www.animaluncontrol.blogspot.com

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  46. I heard Mickey the gator has cancer too.

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  47. http://www.youcaring.com/other/help-pup-cake-and-pack-/309961

    Pup cake and family again. These people make me sick, if the girl has autism, and they feel the need for her to have a companion animal that's fine. I wouldn't choose a pit bull for my child. These are the same people who raised hell about Santa being allergic last Christmas. Now they're begging for money, or someone is, on their behalf. It came across my newsfeed when someone else shared it.

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  48. Whhhhhhhhy do people complain about my 12 service hyenas especially when I walk them on the flexileash? My five-minute-old baby has never had any problem with them. yes, I am posting from the delivery room... the doctor and nurses all ran away when my husband brought my adorable pack in to see me and little Henrietta. Oh. Here's the police AGAIN!

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  49. I am seeing fake service dogs EVERYWHERE these days. I flew to Florida and back last week. In each airport, there were 2-3 complete fake "service dogs" in Internet-purchased vests. When arriving at one airport, I got to see a woman with her fake service dog step about 3' out of the airport and let her dog pee all over the sidewalk, right where passengers were arriving to check in their bags.

    I went to a steampunk (Victorian costume) event last weekend at Mitchell Domes, Milwaukee's big botanical garden. And there was a guy in costume with a bandog-looking dog (pit bull mixed with something big, like mastiff). And the dog was wearing a service dog vest that was an obvious fake. His owner was non-disabled, and the dog was dragging him everywhere on leash (and not like a guide dog).

    A guy saw me at an obedience competition a few months ago and latched on, constantly calling and e-mailing. He wants to take his human- and dog-aggressive large unneutered GSD and turn it into a "service dog." He even admits that he's doing it for a challenge of it, that he has no disability, but that he only wants to take the dog in public and show what great training will do. I spend hours trying to convince him of the error of his ways, but have not changed his mind. He typically ends each call asking for websites where he can purchase a vest. Something tells me he isn't listening...

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  50. Hello everyone,
    My name is Ravi, I am from India. After reading several blog posts here I felt a little bad. people are giving money to pitbull rescues and even getting pitbulls for 300USD adoption fees.
    Why don't these people help tigers in India? pitbulls don't need any help, the endangered species do.
    Because of efforts tiger population in India increased by 30%.India's tiger population increases by 30% in past three years; country now has 2,226 tigers,
    Please help endangered species like tigers, rhinos, elephants,panda.

    Thanks for reading this.

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  51. I have a certified pit bull service dog, CGC and CGCA certified as well. She is five and never had an incident, although she hates escalators, they bother her feet. I have health certs, a letter from my doctor and a copy of my military and SSA papers showing my 100% disability rating, which are not recognizable by just looking at me. Anytime I need a little extra money I go find a trashy 7-11 store and the stinky little manager yells at me in broken English. So I let him kick me out, I am very polite, I record everything and when the cops arrive I get a copy of the report. It is nice to have a little bonus once a year. I am legal, and don't even have to work anymore because ignorant folks think my pit bull is a fake SD. Wrong!!!

    Respectfully,
    Josey W.
    Daytona Beach

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    1. So the purpose of your "service dog" is to be a worthless POS and you it to take advantage of people for money? I guess that your "disability" is that you are too lazy to get a job.

      Delete
  52. http://stubbydog.org/2014/02/why-pit-bulls-make-the-best-therapy-dogs/

    Yeah, PTSD Pit bulls seem like a really bad idea...

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    1. I strongly disagree , I have had my pitbull ptsd service dog for 3 years . Nothing went wrong she was always their to comfort me .


      The way she would alert me is by jumping on me or resting her paw on me . I it's better to train your service dog as a puppy because they are easier and better to train than adult dogs (depending on the breed because some peen better than others)

      Any dog can be a service dog with strict training . The pitbulls they had were rescues and all of them were adults barely learning new things at that age . If you think about it , it won't really make them as good as the derive dogs who are trained early on . And that goes to all dogs.

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  53. I'm a veteran, with ptsd, considering getting a service dog. Almost got her today. It's not like she helps with the dishes, or I want a tax break. You know that guy that walks through Wal-Mart with blinders and headphones on? That's me. Social anxiety and anger issues to the point of legal problems. This way, when people are all around me, and I can't think or sort out my thoughts, and I would collapse and cry, I could sit down and pet a dog instead. People are ridiculous for judging what they don't understand. PTSD sucks. I hate crowds. I can't watch everyone at once. You should try it sometime.

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  54. and only a pit bull can do this job?

    i call shenanigans.

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  55. I'm currently have a pit bulls that is a service dog she prevents me from leaving the house without her put her paws on my legs if i'm having an attack so i can focus on her and calm down faster and other things that i'm not going to tell you. pit bulls are WORKING dogs not bred to fight or attack. people train them to do that. in fact pit bulls used to be called nanny dogs from there protectiveness of babies and small children. As for a pitt service dog go to Youtube and look up Da Rock service dog you will see a blue bellied extra large pitt while working

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    1. Oh good grief. They were not nanny dogs. That crap was made up by an early promoter of the breed trying to get the AKC to accept what was generally thought of as a low class fighting dog. The work they were bred for was bull baiting, then when that was outlawed, fighting to the death in the pit. They are STILL being bred as fighting dogs and as human aggressive protection dogs, 90% of which end up in shelters to be adopted and "trained" by folks such as yourself. They are gladiator dogs. They are not suited as therapy animals any more than a docile lion is. Retriever dogs are generally used in service work and even specific bloodlines bred only for service work generally only produce about 30% of truly suited dogs per litter.

      I am very sorry not everyone can afford a true service dog. However, poverty doesn't grant one the right to endanger the public with a dangerous dog.

      Sure, yours has never even growled before. Of course, that's what every freaking pit bull advocate always says right after their pibble goes full pit and attempts to kill.

      Delete
  56. No one should name a pit "Odie".
    If Odie in the comics was a pit Garfield would have ended when Lyman moved in.

    Jon Arbuckle "Have anything else?"
    Lyman "Just one thing."
    Pit rushes in and mangles Garfield.
    Lyman "I don't understand. He's never done that before!'

    THE END

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