Stamford native Nicki Puza fell in love with pit bulls while volunteering in veterinary clinics during college. She got her first pit bull at the start of 2009 and her second in April 2010. While in veterinary school, she is also fostering a pure-bred adult male pit bull.
“I found that pit bulls had the most personality, were extremely intelligent, and had the most love to give,” Puza said. “I meet people with my dogs in tow who remark on how wonderful a breed pit bulls are, and how they are so unfortunately misunderstood.”
When Puza went to in Stamford earlier this summer, she was surprised to learn that they do not allow pit bulls. Until recently, the breed policy at Camp Bow Wow was laid out by the corporate headquarters, today, corporate gives each franchise the option of whether or not they will accept pit bulls.
“Owners of pit bulls were disappointed, so we tried to change the policy, we interviewed them and took a six-month-old female pit bull, a sweet, sweet dog with people. She did fine in the interview process, fine with just two or three other dogs,” John Caro, owner of Stamford’s Camp Bow Wow, told Patch. “The second day, her temperament changed, to the point that she bit another dog. When the counselor who was in there tried to control the situation, she bit the person on the arm. I don’t know what might have happened, maybe she thought she was playing rough.”
Since then, Camp Bow Wow has not accepted any pure bred pit bulls, but they do have three or four mixed breed pit bulls.
“I have unfortunately very commonly heard of apartment complexes not allowing pit bulls or German Shepherds, Boxers, Dobermans, or a handful of other breeds....It is easier for me to ignore these restrictions and pass them off as ridiculous because the people making the rules don't know anything about dogs and aren't expected to, unlike the people at a dog boarding facility,” Puza said.
The use of pit bulls in dog fighting is one of the driving forces behind the reputation. It’s easy for people to listen to the news and see dog fighting rings being broken up and draw their own conclusions about the nature of pit bulls. This leaves some boarders up against the wall in deciding whether or not to allow them in their facility.
“I’m sure in many clients' minds, they hear stories of Michael Vick and have it in their mind that they’re bred to fight...they’re afraid. I think if I accepted pit bulls at camp, we would lose clients,” Caro said.
The reputation pit bulls have gained from dog fighting has led to a disastrous chain reaction, dogs being abused, neglected, and developing traits that serve to propel the reputation into the future.
“It makes them a target breed to be adopted as a "status symbol pet." These dogs are trained to be aggressive, protective, and to bite usually by being beaten, abused, and neglected," Puza said. “If they get loose, as they often do thanks to irresponsible owners, the results can be disastrous. What most people don't realize though, is that any breed treated this way may develop the same aggressions.”
“I don’t know what it is, whether it’s in their nature or the way that they were raised,” Caro said. “It’s a reputation that’s been coming for a long time.”
For people who love pit bulls, it’s also a reputation they’re fighting hard to change. October 22, 2011 will mark the fifth annual National Pit Bull Awareness Day, a day that advocates across the US plan to join together to bring some positive attention to their misunderstood best friends.
P.S. My first dog was attacked twice by other dogs, one was a golden retriever and the other was a sharpei. Any dog can bite.
I believe that every dog owner should go to training with their dogs. It's not just for people who are new to being dog owners because each dog is different. It's learning how to effectively protect both you and your dog from harmful situations. I doubt that any dog who has been interviewed for being docile and playful would all of a sudden attack another dog for no reason - I bet it was the other dog who wasn't properly trained by their owner that started the fight. Going up to any dog in an anxious state will cause the dog to protect himself/herself, so the person who got bitten at the daycare was a fool and the pit and owner should not be banned for not interviewing ALL the dogs in their care and for not training their staff to know how to deal with dogs in general.
I saw this quote & it is so true. I have 2 dogs Bosco a dachshund & Gabby Staffordshire terrier mix mix ( maybe boxer ). Gabby came into my life April 2011. She was actually kicked in my yard ! She was 15pds & had scares on her face & legs. When I came down to pick her up she jumped in my arms & gave me kisses. She is the sweetest girl & only thing she's guilty of is being friendly ! She wants to be everyone's friend lol. When I take my babies out, Bosco wears a " security " tee shirt & Gabby a " free kisses" tee. It completely fits their personality. Bosco is the king of the castle & Gabby knows that. They love playing in the leaves & sharing bones. I know I will always have a dachshund & American Staffordshire terrier mix( pitbull or pitbull mix) in my home, because they are simply the best. I wish people would stop discriminating against American Staffordshire terrier mix (pitbulls or pit mixes), because 5 min with one will win you over for life! It's the bad owners that give the breed a bad name !!!!!
A lot of his issues are due to poor socialization at a young age (we got him at 2 yrs old, and he spent a lot of time as a "back yard dog" before that) - he really wants to have doggy friends, but he gets WAY too excited, and he's too much of a bully and doesn't tolerate rowdy companions. He also NEVER backs away from an aggressive dog, so every confrontation that's not avoided is a guaranteed fight (and there are a lot of random aggressive dogs out there, of every breed). That said, he's gentle as can be with people young and old, the vet staff adore him, he's mind-bogglingly obedient, and he even has a handful of trusted doggie companions he gets along with splendidly (once they all learned each others' boundaries). Most "pit bulls" these days are some sort of mix, however, so there's really no telling what their personality or genetic predispositions will be. It's completely absurd to lump them all together, or assume you can tell ANYTHING about a dog based on it's phenotype (appearance) alone.
Then again, it's hard to put much stock in anything said by someone who posts "how they were the "Nanny dog" that watched the farmer's children so the entire family could go work the farm without worrying about their kids" with a straight face. Noone in their right mind uses an animal to care for young children. APBT's have high pain thresholds and strong family bonds which makes them much less likely to react to a toddler's poking and prodding (hence their stellar performance at the vet), but that comment is just patently absurd. Denying the characteristics of a breed does nothing to help them. Every dog is an individual to be sure, but trying to mislead people into thinking the average pit bull terrier is going to be a short-haired, stocky Golden Retriever is dangerous and ultimately damaging to the breed's reputation as a whole. I understand how the unwarranted hype and animosity surrounding the breed can lead to clinging to and repeating every positive anecdote you can find, but let's keep our heads out of the sand. Not every breed is right for every person/family. There's some good, level-headed info on this site: http://www.pitbulllovers.com/about-the-american-pit-bull-terrier.html
He was put back up for adoption stating that he should not be in a home with other dogs. He was adopted again by a couple with no dogs. I was happy for him as I have owned dogs for 30 years and do not want to see any dog put to sleep. However, last week I noticed he was back on the market for adoption as the 3rd family had to give him back. Clearly, something else happened. Some of these dogs need too be at a facility for rehabilitation and perhaps live there so no other animal becomes another victim of his.