This week's horrific mauling of a 6 year old girl by two Pit Bulls started an avalanche of emotional discussions. Most of the time they came down to only two rather extreme opinions - either people wanted to ban the dogs or they insisted that Pits (or similar breeds) are very loving and sweet.
In my opinion there are some genetic breed traits that need to be taken into consideration when you are interested in the breed, like their immense jaw power. I also always point out to potential adopters/owners that they will have to deal with people's perception and scrutiny no matter if justified or not. With the exception of a small percentage of dogs that come from lines that have solely been bred for their aggressive genetics, I truly believe that it is still predominantly the owner, who creates behaviors!
Bella, a American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff), is a great example. She was bought from a breeder (I use this term loosely). A few weeks later the owner realized that she didn't want the commitment a dog requires. She went to the shelter and surrendered Bella, even though the staff had informed her that Mecklenburg County law forbids them to adopt out Pits to the public and that they area kill shelter. Bella was disposed of like an unwanted pair of shoes. Shelters don't have the resources to screen adopters and in the attempt to avoid that 'fighting breeds' get into the wrong hands, the law only allows approved registered rescue groups to pull them.
In Bella's case time was precious. Because Bella was surrendered by the owner, she only had 24 hrs. The shelter staff was fond of her and contacted several rescue groups. A race against time started and we were desperately looking for a foster home. A non-member of Carolina P.A.W.S. offered to foster Bella. He came with the recommendation of a previous adopter and had already a Pit Bull. Bella was enjoying live - she could do pretty much whatever she wanted. (Bad idea for any puppy, but in particular for a strong breed puppy.) A few weeks later she got loose and ended up being picked up by Animal Control in York. We went to get her and decided that Bella had to go to a new foster home. We were able to convince a good friend of mine who lives in the neighborhood to take her in. Bella had developed a few bad habits that we didnt appreciate and her new foster mom started working on her obedience and manners immediately. Whenever it was possible I took Bella along to training sessions or to my house, while her foster mom was at work. This was bootcamp for the little AmStaff girl! Given the breed's bad reputation combined with the pure strength, the bar was set higher for Bella than other foster dogs. After more than a month of intensive training, she flourished and we couldn't have been happier with her. There was never a worry, when we passed playgrounds and small children 'attacked' us. We never worried about taking her along to parks and public places. Although difficult for a young dog, I never worried about taking her along to a nursing home. Bella ended up being adopted by a wonderful couple, who understands the importance of rules and boundaries. But, don't worry, she also gets lots and lots of cuddles and is getting pampered.
When Bella first arrived at her second foster home, we saw glimpses of her trying to "protect" everything and everybody. At only eight months, it was worrying and absolutely not permissible. When she left to go to her forever home, she was a content and well balanced dog. Nevertheless, I'm convinced that Bella would have turned out very differently, if she would have been left to her own devices without all the training.
