Sailing with dogs?

[Looking]

I am not going to get into a pissing match with you about my credentials to comment on the 'nature' of the Pit Bull. You have already jumped to the conclusion that the extent of my knowledge about dogs is what I have gleaned from the popular press. It appears that jumping to conclusions and accusations is a habit with you... as your most recent attack of Giu displayed. (which you correctly apologized for)

I will say that "bunking with a guy who owns one" and "chatting with a buddy at a coffee shop" hardly supports your credentials as an expert. Nor would I consider the 2000 report on Canine Deaths by the CDC that stated a full 1/3 of all canine deaths was caused by Pitt Bulls: 118, "what I read in the news".

I can only hope that your advice on sailing related issues on this forum come from your own experience and not that of the guy packing your groceries at the A&P.

[Kernix]

Originally Posted by Looking

I am not going to get into a pissing match with you about my credentials to comment on the 'nature' of the Pit Bull. You have already jumped to the conclusion that the extent of my knowledge about dogs is what I have gleaned from the popular press. It appears that jumping to conclusions and accusations is a habit with you... as your most recent attack of Giu displayed. (which you correctly apologized for)

I will say that "bunking with a guy who owns one" and "chatting with a buddy at a coffee shop" hardly supports your credentials as an expert. Nor would I consider the 2000 report on Canine Deaths by the CDC that stated a full 1/3 of all canine deaths was caused by Pitt Bulls: 118, "what I read in the news".

I can only hope that your advice on sailing related issues on this forum come from your own experience and not that of the guy packing your groceries at the A&P.

Your a real jerk - I was right though - you have never lived with a pit bull - I have and my buddy brings his dog down all the time - and yet you totally dismiss that as relavant - and then you go and quote statistics - I told you - mistreated pit bulls are the nastiest - and as for Gui - I've been a few other different posts today where other people were like "Wow, what's with the caps" or "Hope you don't mean that." So I like at least 2 other people interpreted his lame attempt at a joke via sarcasm as other than what it was.

So tell me where I'm wrong at shooting back at ya when you basically tear my post to shreads and saying that I’m ridiculous – and your statement of how welcome I would be if I walked down a dock with a pit bull totally points to your biased and incorrect ideas of pit bulls.

Have you ever lived with a pit bull or played with a pit bull? Let me answer that for you – NO. So you are like the classic guy who quotes statistics but doesn’t know squat of the reality of the situation.

As for my posts on sailing – I don’t offer advice ‘cause I’m a newbie unless it relates to something I know – so thanks for that insult as well.

What’s your issue?

[Looking]

Originally Posted by Kernix

Your a real jerk - I was right though - you have never lived with a pit bull...

No, but I don't have to be bitten by a Rattle snake to know it's a bad idea either!

Originally Posted by Kernix

So you are like the classic guy who quotes statistics but doesn’t know squat of the reality of the situation.

Okay, I was hoping this would just go away, but I guess not.

I am 46 years old, and have owned and trained dogs my entire life, Yellow Lab, German Sheppard, Doberman Pinscher, and finally our present dog, a Black Lab. No, this does not make me an expert on Pit Bulls, but you asked what my experience is that would qualify my answer, so I will tell you.

For the last 16 years I have been an EMT -Trauma Medic. I have worked in a number of highly dangerous locations and occupations; oil wells in the High Arctic, paper mills, saw mills, and I have seen my share of gruesome accidents, including a decapitation on the oil rigs and someone who fell into a 5 1/2 tonne ingoing nip. But that all pails in comparison to the call I responded to where a 5 year old had had half of her face ripped off by the 'family pet'. You guessed it... a Pit Bull. While I am working on the bloody mess that is all that remains of this little girls face (she ended up losing her left eye as well) her mother was going on and on about how 'loveable' her dog was, how it had 'just snapped' for no reason. And that is my point. Would you trust your child to roll around on the floor with a dog who's entire reason for being was originally intended to kill? Until you have to witness that kind of carnage, all avoidable if the parents had had half a brain, then you do not have the kind of personal experience that I have.

Am I biased? YOUR DAMMED RIGHT! If it were up to me, and every police officer, EMT, FD responder I know and/or have worked with, the whole lot of them should be gassed! Far too many kids scarred, maimed, or killed!

I'm done! Stick to **** you know, 'cause you know squat about Pit Bulls!

[byrondv]

First off - I have read a few of the sailnet is going down and such threads - so 'Hi' to all the guys that post regularly. I feel like I know you - but you don't know crap about me. Awkward. I am going to try to make a poing of posting a bit more regularly and dragging my Konica-Minolta 7D out on the boat and posting pictures.

Second - the argument of if dogs are good on boats or not is pretty stupid. It isn't a proper argument to relate to personal points of view - that doesn't reflect the overall image of dogs and boats. At the same time - those who quote statistics don't reflect what the dogs _owned by those on boats_ are like.

There is a statistical correlation between pit bulls and violence. Period. There is also a genetic and statsistical correlation to dogs bread for water and those that aren't.

Arguing that pit bulls are 'friendly' dogs is just wrong. They aren't. Arguing that _your_ pit bull is 'friendly' is not dumb. Maybe it is friendly.

Please stop attacking people personally for pointing out what dogs are intrinsicly bred for and using personal experience to nullify overwhelimg stats. If your pit bull is cuddly as a damn push toy then take it sailing. If not - don't. Just don't assume that everyone else's pit bull is so well manored when - chances are... they aren't.

Oh - and btw... next dog I see while walking up to my appartment that runs towards me is getting a swift kick in the nose. In the end it is the responsibility of the owner to ensure their dog is respectful - something that I have seen lacking. (Please do not ask for the pictures of my scratched legs by the last mongrel pup attack several min. ago).

Also - please ignore the numerous errors in spelling and grammar. I have just returned from a very very happy hour.

[JustMeUC]

This has nothing to do with sailing but I just have to say it:

My profession is working with animals. I dislike breed specific legislation and breed profiling very much. Having German Shepherds I feel that it is a very slippery slope.

HOWEVER, Pit Bulls make me very very very nervous. I have treated several that seemed like just the friendliest dogs in the world. But, I never ever turn my back on them. I have known people personally that have met the business end of a pit bull and it is not pretty. They are very difficult dogs to read and quite honestly If I never had to treat another I would not complain.

Yes, there are plenty of nice pits out there. It is just very difficult to know which one is gonna be "the one" who isn't nice and end up scarring you for life.

[eherlihy]

I probably should just let this thread die, but for some reason, I won't.

I pointed out in PMs to a couple of the original posters that I thought that this thread was a hoax... and am more convinced of that now. Did no one else notice that Agent_Nina, who started this thread, had last posted in February 2004? And, that the topics were almost exclusively sailing in Greece?

I suspected in post #4 that someone was trying to "stir up the bees" by raising a potentially volatile topic (that had already been thrashed in another thread to the point wher the moderator got involved), and then sat back and watched.

Once again, the discussion devolved into a textual fight, and a couple of people that would probably normally be buying beers for each other start calling each other names. Few things are as personal as who, or what (Pit-bull / Labrador, Solar Stik / Solar Pannel, Goslings / Mt Gay....), we choose to sail with.

I stayed away from Sailnet for a long time after the "Opinions on Solar / Windpower" thread got argumentative. I'm no expert on sailing, but I know a fair amount. Nor am I a saint. I have taken ubrage at the tone of the replies to a couple of my posts. However, when the conversation get's personal, that is when I bail on a thread. There is no prize for winning a fight here, and I got other stuff to do. I suppose that if I was really ripped at someone, I would take it offline and send them a PM.

The consequence, however, is that, when one person disrespects others experience, or perspective, that no one else is able to benefit from it.

The point of this post is, that I am asking everyone here to not get emotional, or personal with your replies. If you are looking for that kind of interaction, take it over to Sailing Anarchy. Otherwise, send the offending person a PM.

There is a *LOT* of great information and experience available through Sailnet. When discussion turns into a pissing match, it turns people off, and chases people away. The folks at Sailnet cannot moderate every flippin' post (they've got jobs too).

Cheers!

Ed

[administrator]

Time for this thread to end and let's all move on.

Please remember that we're all here becuase we love sailing and sailboats.

Let's focus on what bring us all together.

remember?