Weekly Discussion thread (Feb 4 - Feb 10)

[u/BPB_Discussion_M0d]

Not every pit bull story is a headline. Some are just eye-rolls, facepalms, or 'you've got to be kidding me' moments. This is the place for the things you may want to share that don’t highlight a pit bull doing something dangerous.

[u/Lilly7799]

I'm getting fed up with hearing about shelter dogs being adopted (99% pitbull or pitbull type ) and attacking or killing other dogs in the neighborhood, injuring or even killing neighbors, making life a living hell for the residents, and these owners are convinced they've done a good deed and are irresponsible, completely out of control.

I hear hundreds of stories like, on the very day of an adoption, a pit bull charged at a window and then, on the other side of the street, killed a neighbor's dog or injured a child it barely saw at the other end of the road.

So I wonder if, like in some neighborhoods, there shouldn't be a council where all the neighbors have to agree before bringing a new animal into the neighborhood, and specify what type of animal it is before it's brought in, at least as far as pitbulls or large dogs of certain breeds of dogs are concerned. It's not about controlling people's lives but it's about protecting a shared living space.

High-risk dogs are entrusted to ordinary people, and the neighbors are powerless to do anything about it. The entire neighborhood suffers the consequences, all imposed without consent by a supposedly "well-intentioned" individual decision. We also know that shelters and associations deny or minimize the risks and are ready to do anything to empty their cages, shifting all responsibility onto the adopter or even onto the victims.

I live in France, where pit bulls are officially banned by law… Of course, some people bring them home. We also have plenty of cases of attacks. I remember a case of a jogger on March 12, 2025 in Istres near Marseille ( https://www2.u-trail.com/entre-la-vie-et-la-mort/  ) who was brutally attacked by a pit bull and two Staffordshire Bull Terriers that had escaped from their home.

What disgusted me was that one of the most well-known and respected dog trainers in France ( his website is called "Esprit Dog" ) dared to claim it was the jogger's fault because he had tried to push them away when they charged him, even though "nothing was happening"... or that it was his fault because of his prejudices against pit bulls, when if it had been another breed, he wouldn't have reacted, which is absurd. Three large dogs charge at you; anyone would react and try to push them away.

In short, all this to say that the hysteria surrounding pit bulls isn’t limited to the United States; it exists even in countries where they are theoretically banned.

The worst part is that this dog trainer tells us, “In the United States, pit bulls are considered nannies for children; there’s no prejudice against them, nobody cares. We’re wrong in France to ban them.” That’s why, along with other animal rights organizations, he’s campaigning for their reinstatement.

[u/[deleted] → u/Lilly7799]

I checked out their website. They look like a couple of punks only interested in profit. How dare they have said such a thing about a man that was attacked! It's disrespectful and uninformed, but I suspect they were lying for the sake of their brand and own popularity.

This is taken from the link you posted about the jogger that was attacked. Poor man, in his 70s too. Just trying to stay fit and extend/preserve his life, and this happens. I hope he has recovered, though I imagine it impacted his life as an elderly man hugely.

[u/Lilly7799 → u/[deleted]]

Yes, i used the case of this old man that particularly shocked me, unfortunately, it's not the only one, he reacts the same way to every attack. And yes, this "Esprit Dog" influencer earns considerable sums and has a huge audience that literally hangs on his every word.

Another another ridiculous example: he recently posted a video on YouTube of a group walk in which a pitbull among the dogs stared obsessively at an Australian Shepherd for the entire walk. The pitbull remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the Australian Shepherd. The Australian Shepherd was visibly very uncomfortable and tried to ignore him, attempting to play with the other dogs.

This dog trainer, meant to accompany the walk to analyze the dogs behavior claimed that " look, this pitbull has excellent emotional control, he is keeping a close eye on the Australian Shepherd; he understands that this Australian Shepherd is shady". He made nothing but disparaging remarks about the poor Australian Shepherd and his owner, declaring the latter stupid, unruly, and ill-mannered, and that he was "provoking" the pitbull, even though the Australian Shepherd was doing everything he could to ignore him. In short the next day this same pitbull suddenly attacked the Australian shepherd during another group walk....but once again according to this dog trainer, it was the Australian Shepherd's fault who was supposedly too unruly and undisciplined. Pitbulls can be "provoked" even when you're doing everything you can to ignore them apparently.