Shon
09-27-2004, 11:24 AM
Norristown, PA -- Forget those canine stereotypes, says well-known dog trainer and activist Sue Sternberg.
"There's no breed that is either exempt from aggression or all-aggressive," she said.
"While some of the fighting breeds were bred for aggressiveness toward other dogs or people, they're not all that way. Just like not all golden retrievers and Labradors are sweet family pets. There's aggression in those breeds too. It really depends on the individual dog."
To prove their point to the many pit bull owners in the area, Sternberg and Erin Deal, owner of All Positive Dog Training in Eagleville, held a weight-pulling contest at Simmons Park on Sunday.
Harnessed to plastic sleds, participating pooches were encouraged to pull bags of dog food appropriate for their weight.
Though all breeds were welcome to the event, clearly it was a day for pit bulls to shine, while gathering with their own kind.
Curiosity had brought Sharon Davis of Norristown and her dog, eight-month old Mr. Blue - so named for the radiant color of his coat when the sun glints off the fur - to the sloping corner of the park where the event was being staged.
"When people see him they think he's ready to fight because of his size," Davis said. "Nothing could be farther from the truth - he's the sweetest dog around."
Further dashing stereotypes, she recalled that Mr. Blue was so kindly received in her neighborhood, he had become popular with kids that had formerly been "petrified" of dogs.
"It's all in how you raise them. If you choose to raise a violent dog, that's how the dog will turn out," she said. "I don't believe in any cruelty to animals, or that was not an option for me. He's been around kids since he was six months old and he's never been anything but gentle."
Davis has trained Mr. Blue to be on his best behavior during their almost daily walks on the Perkiomen Trail.
"When a biker rides by, he stops and waits, very respectfully," then we continue on," she beamed.
There was no stopping and waiting for Mr. Blue on this day, however, as he hauled a 20-pound bag of Purina on to victory. His owner's fostering of cooperation with a hot dog in constant proximity to his jaw did not appear to inhibit Mr. Blue's champion instincts.
"I was shocked, because he's not a dog who likes to pull," Davis admitted. "But he's a command dog, so he must have been paying attention."
Deal noted that Mr. Blue's real triumph was in his willingness to listen to his owner.
"Once they do this, it's a bonding with the owner, to build that relationship," Deal said. "The dog listening to the owner starts everything moving. Here, the dog wanted to do it, he got something out of it, and the human was the leader."
Sternberg, whose training skills and work with shelter animals have been featured in several HBO documentaries, smiled at the dozen or so leashed pit bulls playfully romping with their owners.
"You'll find that the relationship between a pit bull and its owner is no less than what you or I have with our dogs," she said.
"As much as we hate it, the dogs who are bred for fighting do love it. But they never get to play fetch or do other things normal dogs do, so this is what they know. But they can definitely be loving pets."
Breeding their dogs and selling the puppies, along with winning casual street corner fights can be profitable and compelling for urban teens, Sternberg noted.
"These kids have few role models for healthy, constructive interaction with dogs. Often the only 'sport' these kids see is dog fighting or sparring."
The weight training contest, which is part of an inner-city program called Lug-Nuts, has all the elements of dog sparring - the excitement, the competitiveness - but none of the cruelty.
"It's so important that we attract people so they can find out there are other things they can be done with their dogs, especially when you look at owners who are using aggressive dogs for the wrong reasons," Sternberg said.
"A lot of times these fighting breeds are used for intimidation or fighting or things like that. And we're trying to say, 'Hey look, we can do things with this dog that help keep the macho image but are humane to the dog.' We're telling them that yes, it's a tough, strong dog, but look what else we can do with it."
Deal nodded.
"Through training we can help the dog bond with the owner instead of using them in negative ways," she noted. "We're using the Lug-Nuts program as a way to help encourage responsible pet ownership in other ways, such as getting these dogs spayed and neutered so they're not overpopulating our shelters with breeds that are hard to place in the first place."
The canine fighting that Sternberg and Deal most frequently find themselves battling is not the professional version involved with drugs and gambling, but the sort found at the far less structured street level.
"Most of the people we meet do not want their dogs to be aggressive, they're looking for fun things to do," Sternberg said. "When these dog owners find other ways to get together, it brings the whole community together. Dog owners love talking to one another."
Allowing a dozen or so pit bulls to convene in a small space did not mean the women were throwing caution to the wind, however.
As Sternberg and Deal continued to advise the crowd to keep their leashed dogs apart, Stefanie Fulford of Norristown waited patiently for her lively 11-week-old pit pull Ikemoe to get harnessed for his turn.
"We were just coming to watch, but the organizers said he should pull some weight," Fulford said, as the gray-and-white pup graciously gobbled up every doggie biscuit that was offered to him by admirers.
Fulford agreed with the prevailing notion that training makes the dog. "I think almost any dog can be a good dog if he is taught by nice people. Ikemoe is as sweet as any puppy."
The lightweight Ikemoe good-naturedly hauled a 24-ounce box of Milk Bone treats on his sled, as Sternberg enticed him with a hot dog.
As he scurried through the orange cones, the crowd cheered him on.
Deal and Sternberg congratulated Fulford on Ikemoe's glorious showing and excellent potential for future training.
Then they obliged a few requests for housebreaking tips from the crowd.
"There's no breed that is either exempt from aggression or all-aggressive," she said.
"While some of the fighting breeds were bred for aggressiveness toward other dogs or people, they're not all that way. Just like not all golden retrievers and Labradors are sweet family pets. There's aggression in those breeds too. It really depends on the individual dog."
To prove their point to the many pit bull owners in the area, Sternberg and Erin Deal, owner of All Positive Dog Training in Eagleville, held a weight-pulling contest at Simmons Park on Sunday.
Harnessed to plastic sleds, participating pooches were encouraged to pull bags of dog food appropriate for their weight.
Though all breeds were welcome to the event, clearly it was a day for pit bulls to shine, while gathering with their own kind.
Curiosity had brought Sharon Davis of Norristown and her dog, eight-month old Mr. Blue - so named for the radiant color of his coat when the sun glints off the fur - to the sloping corner of the park where the event was being staged.
"When people see him they think he's ready to fight because of his size," Davis said. "Nothing could be farther from the truth - he's the sweetest dog around."
Further dashing stereotypes, she recalled that Mr. Blue was so kindly received in her neighborhood, he had become popular with kids that had formerly been "petrified" of dogs.
"It's all in how you raise them. If you choose to raise a violent dog, that's how the dog will turn out," she said. "I don't believe in any cruelty to animals, or that was not an option for me. He's been around kids since he was six months old and he's never been anything but gentle."
Davis has trained Mr. Blue to be on his best behavior during their almost daily walks on the Perkiomen Trail.
"When a biker rides by, he stops and waits, very respectfully," then we continue on," she beamed.
There was no stopping and waiting for Mr. Blue on this day, however, as he hauled a 20-pound bag of Purina on to victory. His owner's fostering of cooperation with a hot dog in constant proximity to his jaw did not appear to inhibit Mr. Blue's champion instincts.
"I was shocked, because he's not a dog who likes to pull," Davis admitted. "But he's a command dog, so he must have been paying attention."
Deal noted that Mr. Blue's real triumph was in his willingness to listen to his owner.
"Once they do this, it's a bonding with the owner, to build that relationship," Deal said. "The dog listening to the owner starts everything moving. Here, the dog wanted to do it, he got something out of it, and the human was the leader."
Sternberg, whose training skills and work with shelter animals have been featured in several HBO documentaries, smiled at the dozen or so leashed pit bulls playfully romping with their owners.
"You'll find that the relationship between a pit bull and its owner is no less than what you or I have with our dogs," she said.
"As much as we hate it, the dogs who are bred for fighting do love it. But they never get to play fetch or do other things normal dogs do, so this is what they know. But they can definitely be loving pets."
Breeding their dogs and selling the puppies, along with winning casual street corner fights can be profitable and compelling for urban teens, Sternberg noted.
"These kids have few role models for healthy, constructive interaction with dogs. Often the only 'sport' these kids see is dog fighting or sparring."
The weight training contest, which is part of an inner-city program called Lug-Nuts, has all the elements of dog sparring - the excitement, the competitiveness - but none of the cruelty.
"It's so important that we attract people so they can find out there are other things they can be done with their dogs, especially when you look at owners who are using aggressive dogs for the wrong reasons," Sternberg said.
"A lot of times these fighting breeds are used for intimidation or fighting or things like that. And we're trying to say, 'Hey look, we can do things with this dog that help keep the macho image but are humane to the dog.' We're telling them that yes, it's a tough, strong dog, but look what else we can do with it."
Deal nodded.
"Through training we can help the dog bond with the owner instead of using them in negative ways," she noted. "We're using the Lug-Nuts program as a way to help encourage responsible pet ownership in other ways, such as getting these dogs spayed and neutered so they're not overpopulating our shelters with breeds that are hard to place in the first place."
The canine fighting that Sternberg and Deal most frequently find themselves battling is not the professional version involved with drugs and gambling, but the sort found at the far less structured street level.
"Most of the people we meet do not want their dogs to be aggressive, they're looking for fun things to do," Sternberg said. "When these dog owners find other ways to get together, it brings the whole community together. Dog owners love talking to one another."
Allowing a dozen or so pit bulls to convene in a small space did not mean the women were throwing caution to the wind, however.
As Sternberg and Deal continued to advise the crowd to keep their leashed dogs apart, Stefanie Fulford of Norristown waited patiently for her lively 11-week-old pit pull Ikemoe to get harnessed for his turn.
"We were just coming to watch, but the organizers said he should pull some weight," Fulford said, as the gray-and-white pup graciously gobbled up every doggie biscuit that was offered to him by admirers.
Fulford agreed with the prevailing notion that training makes the dog. "I think almost any dog can be a good dog if he is taught by nice people. Ikemoe is as sweet as any puppy."
The lightweight Ikemoe good-naturedly hauled a 24-ounce box of Milk Bone treats on his sled, as Sternberg enticed him with a hot dog.
As he scurried through the orange cones, the crowd cheered him on.
Deal and Sternberg congratulated Fulford on Ikemoe's glorious showing and excellent potential for future training.
Then they obliged a few requests for housebreaking tips from the crowd.