The Poodle (and Dog) Blog

The World's Worst Guard Dog

After her home was burglarized, Sharon Stevens, a lady in the Townhill area of the UK, decided to get a guard dog for protection and security.

She got Oz, a Strattfordshire Bull Terrier, one of the breeds known as a Pit Bull. Yes, one of those.

Although he was quite fierce looking, he was a total pussycat toward her three daughters, ages 11, 7, and 4. So much of a pussycat that not long after assuming his guard dog role, the Pit Bull was attacked and injured by the family cat.

Then a short time later their home was burglarized again. This time the thieves stole Oz, their guard dog.

Oz was described as “scary looking, short, plump and with ginger markings on his back.”

Oh yes, and he had cat scratch marks on his chest.

Now what is it we have always heard about Pit Bulls?

Another story about a Pit Bull

Thanks to Nigel for sending this story.

The pitbull or the ferret?

There now seems to be a question whether the pitbull puppy or the uncaged ferret chewed four toes of a Louisiana baby while her parents slept.

The month-old baby girl was injured Dec. 10 while her parents, Christopher and Mary Hansche, were asleep. They were awakened by the baby's cries, they said. The husband blamed the dog but the wife is sure it was the ferret.

The parents were jailed for child desertion and criminal negligence and remain in jail in lieu of $50,000 bond each. No matter which pet was involved, the charges will remain because the baby was “injured by an animal while in the custody of the parents.”

The baby has been released from the hospital and is in state custody. Meanwhile the state is waiting for the results of a drug hair analysis on the parents.

Thanks to Denny for this update.

The American Pit Bull Terrier—“America’s favorite dog”…once

According to an email I received from Vanessa, I incorrect identified the World War I dog hero, Stubby, as a Bull Terrier instead of an American Pit Bull Terrier. Vanessa is a defender of the breed and is experienced and realistic about the so-called Pit Bull. She writes that

At one time the American Pit Bull Terrier was America's Favorite Dog. There was Petey from the Little Rascals movie shorts, the RCA dog (His master’s voice), Buster Brown’s dog ("Hi, I'm Buster Brown. I live in a shoe. Here's my dog Tigh. He lives in there too.") and, of course, Stubby.

The American Pit Bull Terrier was imported from Irish stock mostly and they were created by crossing bulldog and terrier to make the ultimate fighting dog.

As gruesome as we see dog fighting today, it was a sport enjoyed at one time, great entertainment for the masses, like bullfighting, cockfighting and feeding Christians to lions. The dogs were bred and trained to fight other dogs and the owners gave them the ultimate in care.

In the fighting pit were two dogs, two handlers and a referee. At any time the humans could pull the dogs apart with their hands by prying open the mouths. How could these men not be bitten? Because the American Pit Bull Terrier is superbly loyal to humans and more trustworthy with humans than most other breeds.

Vanessa has a Siberian Husky who is best buddies with her Pit Bull, but she trusts the Pit Bulls more than any other breed she has known not to bite humans. They can, of course, be taught to get along with other dogs. Vanessa’s Pit Bull loves Chihuahuas!

The reason Pit Bulls are in the headlines today more than any other breed, according to Vanessa, is “because they are ill bred and ill managed.”

Dumbo

It was near dusk a few years ago when my parents noticed a car stopping outside their house. As they watched, a woman reached over to open the passenger door, pushed a dog out on the sidewalk, and drove away. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that we learned why.

When they went out to investigate, they were greeted with a happy dance from a friendly dog that seemed to have no idea that he had just been dumped by his owner. The dog was well fed, well cared for, and polite. When he was invited into the house, they found that he was housebroken.

My mother named him Dumbo; I think it was something with his ears. When some children who lived nearby met Dumbo, it was mutual love at first sight. They would come to the house and ask if Dumbo could come out to play. Soon they pooled their piggy bank money and even agreed to make monthly payments if they could have Dumbo. A deal was struck, not involving money,

A few weeks later my parents visited us over the Christmas season. We were looking through a dog encyclopedia showing pictures of all the purebred dogs recognized for showing.

“That’s Dumbo!” my mother exclaimed. ”That dog looks exactly like Dumbo!”

Dumbo, according to the book, was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, a dog bred for dog fighting. In the media frenzy over pit bulls, I recognized this breed as one that had been branded with the label. Caught up in the mindless frenzy, it seemed clear that his owner must have panicked and dumped him.

My mother warned the children’s parents, but they just smiled and shook their heads. They had never heard of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. They didn’t care if he was a purebred dog. They just knew that Dumbo was the most loving dog anyone could have for children.

He chases other dogs out of his yard. His ancestors were bred to fight dogs and genetics can never be totally disregarded. But through the years he has never showed the slightest aggression toward humans.