Endangered Dog Breeds Assoc

"When I was a child I fell on my head-now I believe what I read in the papers!".. quoted by Iain Hewitson on one of his cooking programs, July 2002!!

"Pitbulls" have a locking jaw - can scissor their teeth back and forth and have a bite of over 1500 P.S.I.etc.

NO! Who conducted the "canine Olympics " with dogs that obey "Bite hard..1,2,3. now!' commands?
Ask for the research, as it does NOT exist.
No dog has an extra locking device.
You don't need scientific proof about the locking jaw nonsense. It's obvious and logical. How would they eat if their jaws kept locking? If it's a voluntary lock (keeping the mouth closed with muscles) it's not a lock. We all have this kind of locking jaw.

Dr Brisbin (Georgia University - USA) and other canine anatomists have compared skulls weight for weight in breeds, with examinations of dog jaws and all are the same construction.

Dr. Brisbin states:
"The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of 'locking mechanism' unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier."

In regard to claims of massive 1200 P.S.I., 1500 P.S.I., 1800 P.S.I. jaw strength (Depending on who is telling the story)
he says:
"To the best of our knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any meaningful comparision to be made of the biting power of various breeds of dogs. There are, moreover, compelling technical reasons why such data describing biting power in terms of 'pounds per square inch' can never be collected in a meaningful way. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no foundation in factual data."

Another "fact" is that the pit bull does not lock its jaw as do other dogs (although this is a frequent claim against it) but it's lower jaw scissors back and forth to "rend flesh from the bone". According to Dr. Brisbin:
"This is anatomically impossible! Humans can move their mandibles forward to a degree because of an essentially flat dental plane. Dogs have greatly projecting and interlocking canine teeth and projecting cheek teeth that prevent movement forwards and backwards. I have a dog skull on my desk as I write and this type of movement can not be made. "

It LOOKS like a Doberman, so it IS a Doberman

NO!..a crossbred dog does NOT become a breed by any old naming ! PUREBRED dogs are bred to a planned, closely checked method, which means after a "design" has been bred and a type stabilised, then proof of FOUR generations of breeding the new, true to type PURE dogs is required for acceptance of a BREED ! (ask a Canine organization!)
Why is this important?
Remember it the next time you read a Newspaper report of a dog attack.
Was it really the breed they stated...or a cross-bred that some reporter felt sorta, kinda looked like a ????

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a cross-bred dog. The danger is that when a reporter, whose only qualification for identifying a dog breed may well be the knowledge of which breeds sell papers, identifys a cross as any pure-bred, sure as God made little puppies...some Politicion will say "BAN IT !"

A dog has "tasted blood" so it will attack/kill again.

NO! Geneticists/ scientists say "Not unless the first killing it did was in the context of hunting for food for itself." Dogs usually bite due to fear, territorial or defence aggression, unless attack trained---they are affected by body chemicals when they launch an attack, but often warn first with growls or slow tail movements , ears back etc.

A dog or "breed" will "turn" on you.

NO! There is a lack of understanding by many people of dogs, their feelings, fears and normal reactions from an animal, not a human .Experienced behaviorists/ "dog folk" know this- We are in control, we need to understand dogs and prevent the problems.

Only big dogs are dangerous -OR bites from little dogs are OK or 'cute"
NO! Small dogs have also killed in Australia and babies & small children are victims of bites from ALL sizes and breeds of dogs. All states have research to show this. Size is relative to the victim and the circumstances, though stronger dogs can inflict deeper bites, many children end up scarred for life from small dogs. ALL dogs MUST be trained for bite inhibition and just plain, good old fashioned manners !.

ALL of a breed is vicious, it was bred to fight etc, and has no redeeming features, etc.

NO! No ONE trait makes up a breed or a dog!
Why is every Labrador not a Guide Dog??
Or every Border Collie a Sheep trial Champion?
Or all attack dogs ONE breed?…

Dogs inherit numerous traits, individually as humans do -with variations in every litter as well as breeds. We need to research breeds and know those with possible hunting/guarding/chasing/dog aggression/gameness traits, as early socialisation and training is the key with most dogs.

There is a breed called "Pitbull"

NO! There is no " breed" or type that exists the way the media use it!
It's really a reference title-
"Pit Bull" is a pet name of the ONE breed named with "Pit"
The American Pit Bull Terrier -a dog bred from the same UK dogs which created the Staffordshire Bull terrier, and from ancient mixes of bull & terrier breeds in UK.
Known for years as a "nanny dog" for its safety with children and family, even though it was bred for dog fighting when bull & bear baiting was outlawed.
Dog aggression is NOT human aggression OR gameness of Terriers!

BUT--The media applies this name to any strong, shortcoated, broadheaded dogs, especially in attack reports.
Even CROSSBREDS
Governments often apply it to a mix of dogs with a common background, eg. the "bull" breeds. Then it extends to include crosses. All dog breeds have been changed by breeders for 100+ years-eg the American Staffordshire Terrier was bred from APBT with a showdog standard in mind. APBT & AST have the highest results in the American Temperament Test( www.atts.org ) over 20 yrs, along with the Labrador and Golden retrievers. The illegal dog fighters do not respect this strong game breed and have ruined its reputation. Many APBT and their crosses which were bred since an import ban into Australia began in 1991, are stable, trained and well-loved family dogs. Where responsibly owned, these are NOT dangerous dogs--they deserve no singling out for destruction or eradication.

Blood tests can show even 10% "pitbull" blood or a dog can be be said to be 30% Pitbull by its looks.

NO! Dogs have many characteristics in common with different breed inheritances, eg type, colour, ears, head, tail, proportions. Dogs inherit 50%genes from each parent, it's not maths, not a specific 100 things! One cannot prove any crossbred dog is "anything" unless both parents can be DNA tested , as greyhound breeders do to establish parentage-there is NO scientific, blood or other ,test, to identify a dog's breed.

From a new book, "Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution" by Raymond and Lorna Coppinger. published by Scribner, New York, in 2001. (Coppinger and Coppinger 2001: Page 297).

"Within the hundreds of breeds of dogs, breed differences suggest a distinctive genetic program for each. Yet unbelievably, there is no appreciable genetic difference between them. One would think that there was some sequence of alleles that would act as a genetic marker that would identify a breed. Yet to date none has been found. Incredible as it may seem, there is no way one can genetically determine that "this is an American pit bull terrier." I doubt there ever will be a genetic test of breed, which will become clear as I explore the making of breeds."

Banning a breed can be a safety measure….eg "the dangerous Pitbull"

NO! No breed is dangerous, if well bred and owned! How can we tell a dangerous dog? NOT by breed alone , as Vets/ Kennel Clubs and Humane Society USA say--illegal dog fighters HIDE their dogs and activities, so banning breeds just kills thousands of family pets . Then banning will just increase, as these restricted laws have failed in USA over 30 years and UK over 11 years, to stop dog attacks or dog fighting, & parts of USA, Germany, France, add breeds in a domino effect, treating owners as criminals. A prominent USA dog lawyer states dogs should be assessed by knowledgeable folk re their danger, not by council or government, untrained, elected generalists who come and go, making knee-jerk laws on emotional myths and half truths.

Behaviour is inherited and therefore predictable by breed.

NO! Behaviour is a product of genes interacting with environment & environmental experiences during development of a puppy shape the brain and its connections-then there is learning on top of that .If a developing behaviour (even a genetic one) isn't reinforced, it will fade away or be modified into a different form .In the end, environment is critical-consider teaching a pup not to jump, by ignoring and redirecting it-or why is not every APBT aggressive if this trait is caused totally by inheritance-or why can a rescued fight APBT be retrained and rehomed! We MUST look at real reasons why ANY dog can and sometimes does attack---most will never maim or kill.. It is a matter of sensible human control --and knowledge and containing, training, leashing and supervision with under teens and the elderly -these MUST become the normal habits of dog ownership through community education.





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Myths & Legends WHAT THEY HAVEN'T TOLD US!
"When I was a child I fell on my head-now I believe what I read in the papers!".. quoted by Iain Hewitson on one of his cooking programs, July 2002!! "Pitbulls" have a locking jaw - can scissor their teeth back and forth and have a bite of over 1500 P.S.I.etc. NO! Who conducted the "canine Olympics " with dogs that obey "Bite hard..1,2,3. now!' commands? Ask for the research, as it does NOT exist. No dog has an extra locking device. You don't need scientific proof about the locking jaw nonsense. It's obvious and logical. How would they eat if their jaws kept locking? If it's a voluntary lock (keeping the mouth closed with muscles) it's not a lock. We all have this kind of locking jaw. Dr Brisbin (Georgia University - USA) and other canine anatomists have compared skulls weight for weight in breeds, with examinations of dog jaws and all are the same construction. Dr. Brisbin states: "The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of 'locking mechanism' unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier." In regard to claims of massive 1200 P.S.I., 1500 P.S.I., 1800 P.S.I. jaw strength (Depending on who is telling the story) he says: "To the best of our knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any meaningful comparision to be made of the biting power of various breeds of dogs. There are, moreover, compelling technical reasons why such data describing biting power in terms of 'pounds per square inch' can never be collected in a meaningful way. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no foundation in factual data." Another "fact" is that the pit bull does not lock its jaw as do other dogs (although this is a frequent claim against it) but it's lower jaw scissors back and forth to "rend flesh from the bone". According to Dr. Brisbin: "This is anatomically impossible! Humans can move their mandibles forward to a degree because of an essentially flat dental plane. Dogs have greatly projecting and interlocking canine teeth and projecting cheek teeth that prevent movement forwards and backwards. I have a dog skull on my desk as I write and this type of movement can not be made. " It LOOKS like a Doberman, so it IS a Doberman NO!..a crossbred dog does NOT become a breed by any old naming ! PUREBRED dogs are bred to a planned, closely checked method, which means after a "design" has been bred and a type stabilised, then proof of FOUR generations of breeding the new, true to type PURE dogs is required for acceptance of a BREED ! (ask a Canine organization!) Why is this important? Remember it the next time you read a Newspaper report of a dog attack. Was it really the breed they stated...or a cross-bred that some reporter felt sorta, kinda looked like a ???? There's absolutely nothing wrong with a cross-bred dog. The danger is that when a reporter, whose only qualification for identifying a dog breed may well be the knowledge of which breeds sell papers, identifys a cross as any pure-bred, sure as God made little puppies...some Politicion will say "BAN IT !" A dog has "tasted blood" so it will attack/kill again. NO! Geneticists/ scientists say "Not unless the first killing it did was in the context of hunting for food for itself." Dogs usually bite due to fear, territorial or defence aggression, unless attack trained---they are affected by body chemicals when they launch an attack, but often warn first with growls or slow tail movements , ears back etc. A dog or "breed" will "turn" on you. NO! There is a lack of understanding by many people of dogs, their feelings, fears and normal reactions from an animal, not a human .Experienced behaviorists/ "dog folk" know this- We are in control, we need to understand dogs and prevent the problems. Only big dogs are dangerous -OR bites from little dogs are OK or 'cute" NO! Small dogs have also killed in Australia and babies & small children are victims of bites from ALL sizes and breeds of dogs. All states have research to show this. Size is relative to the victim and the circumstances, though stronger dogs can inflict deeper bites, many children end up scarred for life from small dogs. ALL dogs MUST be trained for bite inhibition and just plain, good old fashioned manners !. ALL of a breed is vicious, it was bred to fight etc, and has no redeeming features, etc. NO! No ONE trait makes up a breed or a dog! Why is every Labrador not a Guide Dog?? Or every Border Collie a Sheep trial Champion? Or all attack dogs ONE breed?… Dogs inherit numerous traits, individually as humans do -with variations in every litter as well as breeds. We need to research breeds and know those with possible hunting/guarding/chasing/dog aggression/gameness traits, as early socialisation and training is the key with most dogs. There is a breed called "Pitbull" NO! There is no " breed" or type that exists the way the media use it! It's really a reference title- "Pit Bull" is a pet name of the ONE breed named with "Pit" The American Pit Bull Terrier -a dog bred from the same UK dogs which created the Staffordshire Bull terrier, and from ancient mixes of bull & terrier breeds in UK. Known for years as a "nanny dog" for its safety with children and family, even though it was bred for dog fighting when bull & bear baiting was outlawed. Dog aggression is NOT human aggression OR gameness of Terriers! BUT--The media applies this name to any strong, shortcoated, broadheaded dogs, especially in attack reports. Even CROSSBREDS Governments often apply it to a mix of dogs with a common background, eg. the "bull" breeds. Then it extends to include crosses. All dog breeds have been changed by breeders for 100+ years-eg the American Staffordshire Terrier was bred from APBT with a showdog standard in mind. APBT & AST have the highest results in the American Temperament Test( www.atts.org ) over 20 yrs, along with the Labrador and Golden retrievers. The illegal dog fighters do not respect this strong game breed and have ruined its reputation. Many APBT and their crosses which were bred since an import ban into Australia began in 1991, are stable, trained and well-loved family dogs. Where responsibly owned, these are NOT dangerous dogs--they deserve no singling out for destruction or eradication. Blood tests can show even 10% "pitbull" blood or a dog can be be said to be 30% Pitbull by its looks. NO! Dogs have many characteristics in common with different breed inheritances, eg type, colour, ears, head, tail, proportions. Dogs inherit 50%genes from each parent, it's not maths, not a specific 100 things! One cannot prove any crossbred dog is "anything" unless both parents can be DNA tested , as greyhound breeders do to establish parentage-there is NO scientific, blood or other ,test, to identify a dog's breed. From a new book, "Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution" by Raymond and Lorna Coppinger. published by Scribner, New York, in 2001. (Coppinger and Coppinger 2001: Page 297). "Within the hundreds of breeds of dogs, breed differences suggest a distinctive genetic program for each. Yet unbelievably, there is no appreciable genetic difference between them. One would think that there was some sequence of alleles that would act as a genetic marker that would identify a breed. Yet to date none has been found. Incredible as it may seem, there is no way one can genetically determine that "this is an American pit bull terrier." I doubt there ever will be a genetic test of breed, which will become clear as I explore the making of breeds." Banning a breed can be a safety measure….eg "the dangerous Pitbull" NO! No breed is dangerous, if well bred and owned! How can we tell a dangerous dog? NOT by breed alone , as Vets/ Kennel Clubs and Humane Society USA say--illegal dog fighters HIDE their dogs and activities, so banning breeds just kills thousands of family pets . Then banning will just increase, as these restricted laws have failed in USA over 30 years and UK over 11 years, to stop dog attacks or dog fighting, & parts of USA, Germany, France, add breeds in a domino effect, treating owners as criminals. A prominent USA dog lawyer states dogs should be assessed by knowledgeable folk re their danger, not by council or government, untrained, elected generalists who come and go, making knee-jerk laws on emotional myths and half truths. Behaviour is inherited and therefore predictable by breed. NO! Behaviour is a product of genes interacting with environment & environmental experiences during development of a puppy shape the brain and its connections-then there is learning on top of that .If a developing behaviour (even a genetic one) isn't reinforced, it will fade away or be modified into a different form .In the end, environment is critical-consider teaching a pup not to jump, by ignoring and redirecting it-or why is not every APBT aggressive if this trait is caused totally by inheritance-or why can a rescued fight APBT be retrained and rehomed! We MUST look at real reasons why ANY dog can and sometimes does attack---most will never maim or kill.. It is a matter of sensible human control --and knowledge and containing, training, leashing and supervision with under teens and the elderly -these MUST become the normal habits of dog ownership through community education.