Known for their strength and burly appearance, Rottweilers are a notably recognizable dog breed. Many people might associate this breed with a bad reputation of being violent or dangerous dogs, often connecting their gruff, boxy build with a dominating nature. While the saying of not to judge a book by its cover – or in this case, a dog by its looks – has been repeated to the point of cliché, there is one characteristic among several breeds that has been often correlated in media to vicious canines: a removed tail. A memorable characteristic of the breed, Rottweilers typically have their tails cut soon after birth. It is an aged and unnecessary practice that can cause long term damage to the dog; it is for these reasons that they should not
Without a risk of negative consequences the procedure could have on the pup, there is no true reason as to why the cosmetic surgery should not take place besides a moral belief in letting the dog remain as it evolved to become. As stated by the American Kennel Club, “Tail docking… [is] performed shortly after birth, when the puppy’s nervous system is not fully developed. As a result, the puppy feels little to no pain, and there are no lasting negative health issues” (4). Yet despite these claims, there have been studies showing not only negative physical effects of the procedure, socials side effects as well. Of the pups who have their tails removed, on average they cry for just over two minutes, but there is record of some whining for up the 15 minutes after the cut is done (5). While one may attribute this reaction to the pup’s lack of exposure to much pain so early in life outside of a playtime scuffle, it does not negate the fact that they do in fact feel enough significant pain to vocalize it to such an alarming degree. This does not include however the risk for neuromas – a painful regrowth of nerve tissue - to develop at the point of the amputation that can lead to infection if irritated that could possibly spread throughout the body if not properly treated (5). Rottweiler puppies, being recently born typically at the time of removal, are extremely young and more susceptible to viruses and infections that their bodies and ill-equipped to handle in their infancy. Dealing with such an invasion could easily lead to long-term damage or death in the pup. As well, their communication with other dogs and humans without the signaling movement of their tails. It is commonly characterized in media of a wagging tail to mean excitement or happiness, and one tucked down between the legs to signify fear – however, studies show there to be less simplicity to this
This produced a dog with a high prey drive with a medium-sized, stocky build and powerful jaws. Contrary to popular belief, the dogs were originally used in the sport of bull-baiting, where dogs would attack the cattle - not other dogs. Since the sport was executed in a pit, the dogs were dubbed ‘pit bull’ and that name has stuck since. When the sport was banned in 1835, the people who relied on these dogs for an income turned the dogs against each other. Their family friendly reputation changed, “around 1976, when animal-fighting venues were added to the Animal Welfare Act, according to Donald Cleary of the National Canine Research Council. Pits--often trained as combatants--came to be seen as dangerous. Throughout the next two decades, stories about vicious pits mauling innocent children appeared in news outlets across the country” (Tullis 3). Interestingly enough, pit bulls were not always the breed under fire by society. In the 1800’s, bite reports by bloodhounds, which were often used to hunt down escaped slaves, flooded the Northeastern newspapers. After World War ll, there was an increase of bite reports by German Shepherd Dogs, a breed used by the Nazis. Pit bulls are the most recent breed of dog to be misjudged. People began to fear pit bulls, this fear
...ports Illustrated cover photo of a pit bull (Pit Bull Rescue Central, "Breed Information”). Dog fighting made a comeback during the 1980s and the pit bull became the favorite macho dog for dog fighters. The dogs were trained to kill or be killed. Pit bulls were also the preferred guard dog for gangs, thugs and criminals. Since the supporters and detractors of pit bulls hold such disparate opinions regarding the ferocity of the breeds, it is only hoped that further discussion and education will help resolve the sad fate that awaits these unfortunate animals. Simply placing all the blame on the breeds will not solve the problems of dog fighting, overbreeding, aggressive training, and excessive euthanizations. Lastly, the biased, sensationalistic publicity of horrific dog attacks which has destroyed the reputation of the once beloved All American Dog must cease.
Pit bulls, the most dangerous dog to ever live. People like to train Pit Bulls to fight other dogs until they are either hurt or dead. The owners that train the dogs are usually the ones that make the dog turn out to be vicious and dangerous. “Each year, 1.2 million dogs are euthanized, approximately 40% of whom are Pit Bulls”(Moore). Pit Bulls don’t know better to understand which is right from wrong since they’re being raised up to fight and protect. Pit Bulls aren’t good family dogs due to the power of their strength and that they could attack at any moment.
In the show ring, if a dog is found to have been cosmetically altered to mold it into the breed standard’s image, that dog is disqualified unless the surgeries in question are tail docking, or ear cropping. The reasons for
calculation to illustrate limitations of breed-specific legislation and decreasing the risk of dog bite-related injury.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 237.7 (2010): 788-792.
It does little to address the main problem: irresponsible owners. As animals, dog’s do not have the same moral compass as humans. It is an owner’s job to train, socialize, vaccinate, neuter, license, and provide all necessary living essentials for their pet. Establishing and enforcing leash laws is also important in ensuring the safety of others. Citizens should be educated in knowing dog body language, behaviors that are safe around a dog, and what to when a dog shows hostility. Children not old enough to understand these guidelines should require adult supervision. Taking these steps will help prevent more victims from experiencing the physical and emotional pain related to a
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), there is a “great deal of confusion associated with the label ‘Pit Bull,’” as it does not refer to a single breed of dog, but rather to a group of breeds with similar characteristics1. These characteristics include short hair, a wide skull and shoulders, muscle definition, stocky build and a deep jawline, the combination of which create a dog that manages to strike fear into a perfect stranger. The term ‘Pit Bull’ is derived from the bulldog, which was originally bred as a hunting dog for large game, but has since developed into a “loyal companion rather than a working dog.”1 Their history as “gripping dogs” for hunters follows them into modern society, as many of these dogs have been inhumanely pitted against one another as well as other animals for sport and for human entertainment1. It is because of these illegal fighting rings that ‘Pit Bull’ type breeds have become the subje...
The media has been accused of covering more stories of pit bull attacks and covering less of other dog breed attacks. This accusation may be true according to what John Davidson of The Denver Post said which was that pit bull attacks seemed to garner more media attention than attacks by other kinds of dogs (Gomez). Media outlets shouldn’t sensationalize pit bulls in their news reports. It gives people false ideas of pit bulls and in turn hurts the breed. According to a compilation of news reports, pits were responsible for 52 of the 88 U.S. deaths from dog attacks from 2006 to 2008. Yet in controlled studies, pits have never been identified as "disproportionately dangerous,”(Tullius 54). Because of the media’s image of pit bulls shown in the news, many people are afraid of
Pit bull terriers have a long track record of attacks against people and animals. A 1987 study of a particularly savage attack against a child was documented by four doctors in the hopes...
Nationwide, approximately 50 percent of all children will be bitten by a dog before they reach the age of twelve (DeIorio, “Have a Dog-Bite-Free Summer”). In Marion County, Florida, aggressive and dangerous breads of dogs are a “serious issue” for the community according to Marion County Commissioner Jim Payton (Thompson, “County drops '1 free kill'”). Responsible dog owners seem to be unaware of the problem but area residents who have been victims of these attacks have turned to the Marion County Board of Commissioners for help. The local County Commissioners have been wrestling with this issue since October of 2009 when a widow from Ocklawaha, Patricia McBee, had three of her dogs euthanized after they allegedly killed her neighbor’s cat (Thompson, “County drops ‘1 free kill’”). The need for change moved even faster after a 3-year-old little girl was attacked and killed by a dog that was chained to a tree outside her house in Citra (Lee, “Girl, 3, mauled”).
b. “Many people have a difficult time properly identifying a true Pit Bull, so added to the statistics are those dogs that have been misidentified. Considering these factors, the actual number of attacks attributable to American Pit Bull Terriers is considerably lower than represented,” according to the real pit bull. i. Do you think a 4 pound Pomeranian dog would hurt anybody? ii. Stated in the Dog Bite Law, “The most horrifying example of the lack of breed predictability is the October 2000 death of a 6-week-old baby, which was killed by her family 's Pomeranian dog.” a. The American Temperament Test is a test that measures a dog strong avoidance, unprovoked aggression, and panic without recovery. “American Pit Bull Terriers passed the test at a rate of 85.3%,” according to Pitbulls.org. They have the highest test scores, and they out beat the golden retriever “family dog” by 7.7%. iii. I identify the justice of my rival’s claim, but I disagree with my rival’s 100 percent about pit bulls having the highest attacks. c. Now you can see how my rival made a mistake because they didn’t evaluate and understood the facts as clearly as they
In the field of therapy, there are numerous of therapy available out there for different type of individuals and situations as well. There is one type of therapy that usually contains people and animal, it is animal-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach that brings animals and individuals with physical and/or emotional needs together to perform the therapy. Animal-assisted therapy tend to be focused on individuals either children or elderly for them to be able to connect with the animal thus feeling comfortable talking with the therapist. Pet therapy works for all ages, whether sick or not (Lanchnit, 2011). Although, this paper, most of the focus is on animal-assisted therapy towards children using dogs.
Animal rights can defined as the idea that some, or all non-human animals are entitled to the possession of their own lives and that their most basic interests should be afforded the same consideration as similar interests of human beings. Animal rights can help protect the animals who experience research and testing that could be fatal towards them. The idea of animal rights protects too the use of dogs for fighting and baiting. Finally, animal rights affects the farms across america, limiting what animals can be slaughtered. The bottom line is, there is too much being done to these animals that most do not know about.
The myths that spaying and neutering is cruel, will change the animal’s personality, or will make the pet fat are not true. Spaying and neutering will give a pet a longer and healthier life. The risk of breast cancer in females, and testicular cancer in males is greatly reduced. Females will also no longer have messy heat cycles, and will not attract males. In males, the urge to roam and mark territory is eliminated. Some people would say that they do not want to give their pet an unnecessary, risky surgery. If this surgery is done when the animal is young and healthy, it is almost completely safe. The consequences of not getting this done are much riskier. The urge that males have to wander away from home can put them in very dangerous situations, such as getting ran over by cars or fighting with other males. For females, giving birth is a very risky
Canine shock collars allow citizens who have lack knowledge the ability to so call train a dog. The collars basically give the dog sometimes a warnig beep or sound, then if proceeding to do the action an electric shock to the neck. Hunters usually use this device to teach Canines to be aggressive to other animals and as punishment for wrongdoings when hunting. Shock collars can make Canines fearful of other animals, territorial, and also aggressive towards owners (Emmerson). The technology of shock collars allows humans to torture mans best friend, with electric shocks through the neck.