Malcom
came to us from the local Humane Society. And as it turned out he was
found abandoned near where we live. He was first taken in by Oakridge
Animal Control. They didn't have room for him so they transfered him to
the Humane Society. And they contacted us as they often do when they
get in a deaf dog. While we do not handle other breeds as a rule, we
just happened to have another deaf Pit Bull puppy at that time, Cleo,
and so we were willing to take Malcom as well. The two were both
exceptional dogs, a real credit to the "pit bull" breeds. And they were
only a month apart in age. We could not have made a better decision.
Malcom was starting to get depressed and withdrawn in the kennel
environment, and he has really blossomed since he got here. He is the
happiest guy on the face of the earth most of the time now.
Yes,
Malcom is a Pit Bull Terrier puppy. There are several breeds that are
identified by that name. We think an Malcolm is an American
Staffordshire Terrier, but that's just an educated guess. Whatever
specific breed or breed mix he is, he definitely is a "Pti Bull", but
do not let that scare you away. He
is a gem of a dog. No signs of aggression or fear at all. He is simply
a perfect little doll. He is outgoing, affectionate, submissive, and a
pleasure to be around. He is a real Pit Bull, not one of these 100+
lb. so called Pit Bulls you see in the news all the time. He is small,
the size that a real Pittie should be, and he has that sweet loving
temperament that real Pitties should have. Malcom was so exceptional
that
the Humane Society that had him just could not bring themselves to let
him
slip through the cracks. They were committed to doing whatever it took
to save this sweet little guy. And we agreed, and offered to take him.
None of us wanted him to spend his
whole puppyhood in a kennel. Especially as it was clear he was
not responding well to kenneling for such a long period. They felt it
was time to get him out of the kennel environment
and they took us up on our offer to take him into our rescue. So here
he is, the smallest dog in the pack, and friends with all of them. Our
honorary Great Dane, Malcom. Someone will be very lucky to be able to
make him part of their family.
Characteristics
The pit bull is a medium-sized dog: males weigh 35–60 lb. and
females generally weigh 30–50 lb. Their short coat accentuates their
muscular bodies, giving them the appearance of a “doggy bodybuilder.”
They are known for confidence, intelligence, and loyal temperament.
The American Pit Bull was originally intended to be both the family dog and for dog fighting. Breeding them correctly in the 1920's included emphasizing not only animal aggressiveness, dominance and a high degree of gameness
but also the loyalty and obedience this breed is so famous for. These
along with other traits made the dog unique in the ways that handlers
could pull the dogs off each other without risking being harmed
themselves and still make great family pets. Although intended to be
animal aggressive they were never trained to be aggressive toward
humans.
Pit bulls today, still retain the predisposition towards dog
aggression. However, a properly trained and socialized Pit Bull can be
taught to manage this aggression.
The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATTS) breed statistics as of December 2005 show an 83.5% passing rate for the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier and an 84.7% passing rate for the Staffordshire bull terrier, as compared to an 81.2% average pass rate for all dog breeds.
Pit bulls as pets
There are often more dogs (many are mixed breeds which are lumped
into the category of "pitbull") than there are owners. Pit bulls or
dogs that appear to be pit bulls may be destroyed in dog pounds due to
the stigma associated with the breed. Few, if any, statistics exist for
these issues. Pit bulls and pit mixed dogs are a common sight in animal
shelters. According to Nathan Winograd, president of the No Kill
Advocacy Group, shelters today have failed to educate people about pit
bull ownership and have not focused on finding them responsible homes,
but rather are engaging in a "witch hunt".
Urban myths
One of the most popular and baseless urban myths about pit bulls is
that pit bulls often ‘turn’ on their owners without provocation.
However, no sane dog performs behaviors for no reason. When aggression
becomes a problem the reasons can often be traced to such things as
improper handling, lack of socialization or training, a misreading of
dog behavior by the owner, lack of discipline, or even disease. When an
owner is startled by a sudden, aggressive outburst, it is generally
because they have been unaware of problems that were brewing.
Research performed by GoodPooch.com
director, Marjorie Darby, finds that dogs involved in attacks
overwhelmingly have a known history of aggression, even though many dog
owners deny or minimize this fact. The neighbors are usually a better
source for documenting negative aspects of a dog's history, than its
owner(s). As such, it is further evidence that dogs, including 'pit
bulls', don't just "turn" on their owners. A follow-up to a CDC report
on dog bite fatalities came to a similar conclusion.
Famous People with Pit Bulls
A case of mistaken
Identity...
Quite often dogs that
attack are identified as pit bulls when they are
not. It seems that that any dog of medium
build with short hair is thought to be a pit bull.
There are 20+ breeds that are commonly incorrectly
identified as pit bulls.
The worst part of this
identity problem is that the initial attack has
frontpage coverage with PIT BULL all over it.
Then several day's later when they properly identify
the dog as a mix breed or another breed that story
is a line or two on page 30 buried. Some examples
Want to know more about "Pit Bulls" Click here. Think you know a "Pit Bull" when you see one? Try to find the "Pit Bull" in this game. Don't feel bad if you can't find it on the first 3-4 tries, most people can't.
The fact is Pit Bulls have a lot more to fear from humans, than humans have to fear from Pit Bulls. Here are some graphic examples of how humanity treats Pitties.Sadly,
even those who are supposed to be helping and protecting dogs,
such as Dog Wardens and Animal Control officers, are involved in the
wholesale slaughter of Pit Bulls. BSL (Breed Specific Legislation)
across the country is responsible for hundreds of dogs having been
taken from their homes and put to sleep, for no reason at all, other
than that they were "pit bull type" dogs in someone's opinion. Most Pit
Bulls "rescued" by Animal Control agencies are put to sleep. We are
lucky that many of the animal control and Humane Societies in
our area are Pit Bull savvy and willing to help this much maligned,
often misidentified, and generally misunderstood "breed." And so is Malcom.
We will post additional photos of Malcom as time goes by, so check
back often.
And if you have any questions about Malcom or any of our dogs,
email us or call us at
541-782-2242
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Gender - Male
