Dear Mr. Stewart

I just got your Jan 2000 issue and was reading the comments about breeding boards The comments made by miss Claudia Siniawski should not be made just in reference to the best breed of dogs in the world every dog will try and fight when not sure of what is happening not just pits a good friend of mine raises labs and just recently had to take one of his dogs to the vet because a bitch he was breeding to turned and ripped his ear pretty bad and this was a family dog he was breeding to so please don't think the breeding board is just used to breed pit bulls they are common in a lot of different breeding programs well I had to get that off my chest it is unbelievable the stupidity of people when it comes to these dogs i read one question in old Pete Sez where a guy asked if pits can swim i mean come on, get real. Well, gotta go so thanks for letting me vent.

a newbie in the game - Ron of full tilt kennels

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I just wanted to say I have owned three pit bulls. They are one of the best dogs I have ever owned. I also have children, and the dogs were always very gentle and protective of them. I plan to get another one sometime soon. It is a shame that they are so feared, and misunderstood dog. For they are very loyal and loving creatures. Owners are the problem for the way some (bad) dogs behave. Please keep up the good work in helping people understand the breed better. Thanks for your hard and dedicated work on the breed. A loyal fan of pit bulls.

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To: news@reporter-herald.com

A while back there was an older gentleman who was walking his small dog on leash; they were attacked by 2 Rottweiler that were running at large; the man was injured and his small dog killed. Did the police call for a ban on Rottweiler? No but they do have one on the police force K-9 unit. Now we have a case of pit bulls getting loose and the same police want a ban on them why the difference? I have owned these wonderful intelligent dogs for a number of years. My dogs do not run, they do not yap, they only bark for a reason, they are friendly, well trained and controlled. The only problems we have ever had was caused by a Rottweiler running loose that attacked my husband and his dog. The Rottweiler did not have his shots, was not on leash, and not controlled. The pit bull on the other hand had all shots was on leash and only fought after the Rottweiler attacked. I feel for the family that lost their dog we all love our pets, but I do not think breed specific laws are in the best interest of this city. A good vicious animal policy makes much more sense.

By the way Northglenn repealed its dog ban and Denver is trying to do the same. Anyone concerned about fighting this can contact me at :

M. W. @ P.O. Box 7323

Loveland, CO 80537.

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My pit bull has gotten more aggressive lately. Someone who runs a pit bull show club said that they heard of some type of virus involving hemorrhoids that someone told him about, and that he saw something in a pit bull chat room about this. My vet, and another vet I called said they never heard of this. Apparently this can make dogs act temperamental. Do you know anything about this? The person who mentioned it hasn't been able to track down the information about it online, nor been able to get in touch with the vet. tech who told him about it. I haven't found anything myself online about this. Any info on this would be appreciated. I'm trying to rule out any medical related things that could be influencing my dogs behavior.

Thanks, Sandy

Bill. Thanks for your return message. My pit Bull is somewhere between 2 and 3. He was found by friends who could not keep him, so I did. He is neutered. I have had him for about one and a half years. The first six months he was fine. His history of aggression includes the following. He killed a raccoon, a rabbit, and some baby rabbits within the course of ten days. I had him neutered after this. He was still ok off leash with other dogs. He would play at the park for long periods with other dogs. He was very friendly. Then one dog a dog on leash snarled at my dog and my dog went nuts. He attacked the dog, had him by the neck and would not let go. Finally a man came by and was able to separate the two. Surprisingly, the other dog seemed ok. I didn't take him to the park for a few weeks, then hoping this was just a random incident. I took him back, and he went after a Boston terrier that took his toy. Again the dog was ok.

A lot of people were around and the fight broke up. Just a few weeks prior to this, my dog had played many times with this Boston terrier. I no longer take my dog off leash, except in the backyard. He has a dog friend that comes by and he get along well with this dog, a mixed breed. They play for up to an hour sometimes. On leash, my dog has started to lunge and growl and bark at strangers randomly. People on the other side of the street, coming out their front door, or sitting in a parked car. I walk him on the gentle leader so I 'm not concerned that he will get loose from me, but the behavior is nevertheless upsetting. My biggest concern is with my seven year old female basset hound. They have never gotten into a fight, but this past week there were two incidents that looked like they could have turned into a fight had I not been there.

I have had several evaluations on my dog with different opinions. There is a trainer I started working with who has given me some tips on redirecting my dog when he lunges on leash. They work to some extent. Pit Bull sights online suggest that a pit bull should not be left alone with another dog. I am moving soon to a townhouse. I don't like the idea of having to leave one of the dogs in a bedroom whenever I'm gone, but I don't feel safe leaving the two together so I plan on keeping them separated at least for the time being. I guess I am hoping that there may be an underlying medical reason contributing to my pits aggression, something that could be treated. The person who mentioned the hemorrhoid thing is a president of a pit bull club, a show club basically but he hasn't followed up giving me a vet who is aware of this condition, if in fact it is a condition. He volunteered to meet my dog and give me his opinion. We met and at first he said he thought my pit was a great dog. Then he did some things that brought out more of my dogs aggression, and then he completely changed and said that he thought that if it were not a medical problem, he would recommend putting the dog down. I'm not taking his advice on this. At this point I am just seeking as much info as I can get to help me understand my dogs behavior, and to what extent training can change it, and if I could ever leave the two dogs alone and feel confident that they would not get into a lethal fight. I hope this gives you more to go on.

Thanks, Sandy