Hey guys, you have probably seen this being a US site an all, but its quite informative...not too much detail but easy to understand...

http://www.sportrider.com/ride/RSS/index.html

I hadn't seen it, though I like the mag. The site also has a "new rider guide" with lots of good stuff, even from other mags' writers. Check it out at:

www.sportrider.com/ride/new_rider_guide/ (http://www.sportrider.com/ride/new_rider_guide/)

yeah i've checked this out before a few times. good stuff.

Yesterday was so crazy for me. My am ride to work was great, basically
uneventful. Going home i think i encountered 8 outta 10 hazards
common(or uncommon depending on how and where you ride i guess)
to us riders.
evrything from: debris in my lane, cager on cell veering into my lane,
cager in intersection making left as i'm coming straight thru(very close
call :x ), loose pit bull running in busy rush hour traffic, cager on my ass
then darting around and cutting in front of me as if i was snailing along,
then lastly (my fault here) waving to a harley dude who waved to me
but hitting a big ass pothole at the same time and nearly eating asphalt!!
(think i'll stick to the head nod unless going slow or stopped :) )

All in all i tried to just relax and maintain compsure. i usually grade my
rides once i get to my destination and i didn't give myself a good one
mainly because of the waving incident. Although my intention was to
just be courteous especially since alot of those types dont wave, i almost
got knocked off the horse.

But hey, we ride, we learn, we live eh?

be safe out there!!

rocco

Sounds like quiet a ride! Glad you're here to talk about it, eh. :thumbsup

Waving is nice, but first thing first.

Pit bulls really aren't so bad. It's just the 40% who are crazy that give the other 60% a bad rep.

i love pits. No bias here. Not their fault people use them to bolster
a tuff guy image and stroke their ego.

What I said about pit bulls was a cheap shot (my idea of a joke) but a lot of them are not trained properly. The breed goes hand-in-hand with irresponsible owners.

Getting back on subject, I started reading those web pages. A lot of the riding tips are things I never knew anything about. I didn't know how much I don't know. I started riding the canyons recently. FUN. But I have a lot to learn.

IMHO (and evidently many others AND with supporting data) they are an aggressive breed...period...regardless of training...this was the point of the breed. But hay, it's America...everyone is free to be reckless. Murder or attempted murder charges should be transferred to the owners, but this does nothing for the victims. (and keep in mind below does not include maiming, just successful kills.

"Studies indicate that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF (i.e., dog bite related fatalities) reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996....[T]he data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." (Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.)

Of course you're right, it goes beyond irresponsible owners, the breed is inherently dangerous. But I think the owners are a big part of the problem...people who want protection rather than a pet. The dogs aren't socialized, trained, or given the care they need. The last time I went to the pound, about two-thirds of the dogs were pit bulls or pit-mixes. Not a coincidence.

Although there are always exceptions. Hell nobody kills humans more
than humans. But i have been around some pits and rotties that were
the nicest, most gentle lunks you could imagine. They have to be
trained properly at a very young age.

Yes there are some nice pit bulls out there. My favorite is the one from the "Our Gang" (a/k/a "Little Rascals") films from the 1930s.
http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/1588/pete2oh2.jpg

Someone please remind me, what does this have to do with motorcycles?

I had a pit/boxer mix who was the best. Sweet, fun, energetic. Ahh I miss that dog. So I am fan - that being said...
Someone please remind me, what does this have to do with motorcycles?
Gernally speaking:
pit bull = bad dog, bad dog = bad owner, bad owner = bad guy, bad guy = tough guy, tough guy = biker.

I know we're digressing but I have to add my two cents...

The stats are not accurate because of the typical owners that have these types of dogs. The Staffy has been "the" family dog in the UK, known as the "Nanny's Helper". These dogs are typically known as a great family addition.

The fact of the matter is, these dogs have physical (not mental/emotional) attributes that make bites a big issue. In Canada the number 1 breed for biting is a Cocker Spaniel followed by the Golder Retriever... obviously not much damage compared to a Pit Bull. So Pit Bulls have a bad rap because of the owners, not the dog. Gangster wankers...

Saying a Pit Bull is more dangerous is like saying bigger, more muscular people are more dangerous... it just doesn't jive!

rndthought,

I stumbled upon this post searching for something else. I know the post is old, but I feel compelled to post a response to you as this is an issue I am quite passionate about.

I own a pit bull/american bulldog mix and foster pit bulls and american bull dogs from a local rescue in our area.

Mo is my first pit bull. Prior to owning him I was like you, well almost. I thought pit bulls were dangerous and unpredictable but handsome dogs. I thought their jaws locked and they were liable to turn on you without notice. I thought to own a pit bull, one would have to be either stupid or reckless.

My job takes me to the worst parts of north St. Louis and has exposed me to several encounters with abused and mistreated pit bulls. I found that even these abused animals were extremely friendly once their trust was gained. I have no doubt that many of these dogs were badly abused and may have even been used for fighting. My prejudice was seriously called into question.

My girlfriend decided to foster a pit bull from the rescue and I was intrigued but still had reservations. Once we got him he won us over with his affectionate demeanor and predictable personality. He was found with his brother, who had been badly abused. His brothers ears were cropped with what we suspect were scissors and his leg had been broken (these injuries ultimately led to his death years later). Mo's demeanor, despite his history of probable abuse, made it so that I couldn't help but trust him. Mo was such a great dog that I adopted him myself and I have never looked back.

Since then I have studied the breed to exhaustion. I have even spoken publicly against BSL (Breed Specific Legislation), and am active in supporting other local efforts to help the breed.

The common opinion of pit bulls as inherently dangerous or vicious is wrong. While there is a good possibility of dog aggression within the breed (which varies from individual dog to dog, ours has no dog aggression) human aggression is not a natural trait within the breed. This is actually why they were in such demand in early dog fighting. The owners loved the dogs because they could pull them away from a fight without fear of the dog turning and biting them. The responsibility of recognizing a dog aggressive dog, or even a human aggressive dog and acting appropriately to those findings is the responsibility of the owner. This is where we fail the breed, by abusing them, tolerating and not putting down dogs with human aggression, or recognizing and dealing properly with dog aggressive dogs...of any breed but pit bulls in particular.

I also learned that a major problem with "'others' and their supporting 'data'" is that it is often based myth or more often on misidentification of other breeds as pit bulls. Here is a link listing several breeds commonly misidentified as pit bulls. See how many times it takes you to guess correctly. I own a pit bull and I still get it wrong.

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

Even in benign cases you could make the mistake. Now the words 'pit bull' conjure up a host of negative images (no I don't think it is merited) and I think the media exploits this further at the expense of sound dogs of the breed AND their owners who love them.

I feel that this misidentification results in a skewed result in the numbers. Not to mention numbers can be posted to support just about any position. There are tons of sites with statistics that are in conflict with the ‘data’ you speak of, but I don’t want to get into a debate with you, and I won’t even address the whole murder liability comment. I just want to offer information and an opposing position. I will just post one link which I feel offers good information and history about the breed and explains and dispels common myths about pit bulls.

http://badrap.org

Sadly, after owning my dog now for two and a half years and despite all of my efforts and passion, I have learned that you really can’t sway people from their opinions about the breed. The easiest way to convince people that pit bulls should be judged individually and not as a breed is to let them actually meet one. Mo has proven himself a far better ambassador of the breed than I could ever hope to be. He has won three sets of parents/step parents over. One of which calls him his grandson now. He was the star of his obedience class and is a Canine Good Citizen.

My challenge to you, and to others that still hold your opinion, is to meet a pit bull. You may be surprised at the reception the dog gives you. It would not be surprised if it was the warmest, wiggliest welcomes you will ever receive from a dog. Face your fear and just try it.

Here’s a picture of Mo…clearly inherently vicious:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/cannnnondale/Img_0734.jpg

bump

All I know is that I love dogs and of all the dogs my crazy dog is the best dog ever! He's golden/lab/chow/rottie and is aggressive toward humans and squirrels. He loves friendly dogs, but will fight meanies.

Mo looks pretty cool too.

All I know is that I love dogs and of all the dogs my crazy dog is the best dog ever! He's golden/lab/chow/rottie and is aggressive toward humans and squirrels. He loves friendly dogs, but will fight meanies.

Mo looks pretty cool too.


Thanks! Mo has been my best dog too. He hates squirrels too, but he may get that from me. :oops:

He is so not a guard dog. When I first got the bike I came home and left my helmet on and made monster sounds. He ran to the dining room and hid under the table. :lol: Not a problem for us...we don't need a guard dog nor did we want one when we got him.

If he ever bit someone I would put him down. It will never happen, but that's what I would do. How did your dog develop the aggression?



ps Sorry for the hijack.

Two thumbs up to the Sportrider Riding skills posts!!! Excellent tips in there.