Classes aim to blunt pit bulls' bad-boy reputation
01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, May 30, 2007
WEST WARWICK — On Saturday, 14 pit bulls graduated from "Out of the pits and into the Ritz," an obedience program started by Susan Parker, a member of the Little Rhody Bully Breed Club, to help change the reputation of the breed.
Ginger, one of 14 pit bulls "graduated" from an obedience training program Saturday in West Warwick, awaits a treat. The owners received certificates of completion of the Canine Good Citizen program, one of many throughout the country sanctioned by the American Kennel Club.
The Providence Journal / John Freidah
"When people see a pit bull, they think they're killers," Parker said. "That they'll eat animals. That they'll eat your children. But these dogs are very active, loyal, smart, admirable, tenacious and strong."
Saturday's graduation, cosponsored by the club and Parker's Dynamic Dog Trainer Service, was held in the park behind the West Warwick Animal Shelter, on Hay Street.
Parker has been turning dogs into good citizens for three years, and has graduated about 25 dogs from the program, she said. Through her work with both family pets and dogs from shelters around the West Bay area, she said she has never had to flunk a dog. Her clients include a high school teacher, chemist, and medical secretary — a far cry from the hard-core image the dog gives off, Parker said.
"A lot of people look at the breed for status," Parker said. "You have to be conscious of who you are giving the dog to. When people come into the shelter looking for a certain breed, we steer them away from the [pit bull breeds]."
The pit bull is not a formal breed, but rather a catch-all term for a series of purebred or mixed-heritage bull terrier breeds. The American Staffordshire terrier and the Staffordshire bull terrier, the most common breeds, are generally muscular and are easily stimulated, according to the American Kennel Club.
The club says the bull terrier's "indomitable courage, high intelligence and tenacity. . . coupled with its affect for its friends, and children in particular, its off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, makes it a foremost all-purpose dog."
Indeed, the animals can make good family pets, said Mary R. Burch, director of the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen Program.
"It requires an owner that understands what this breed is about," she said. "They have high prey drives and may need fences, but they are wonderful family dogs and can participate in all activities. And because of their strength and size, they need an owner who is consistent when it comes to training."
Going through the Canine Good Citizen Program helps owners do just that, Burch said. The program is a 10-step class where a certified trainer teaches responsible ownership and basic training and good manners to dogs. The certification means that each of Parker's students can meet friendly strangers, tolerate petting, walk through a crowd and perform a number of other tasks that show they are under control.
"We believe that there aren't really any bad dogs," Burch said. "What you have is a problem with owners who need to be more responsible and who need more training on how to communicate and recognize when there's a problem and they need help."
The program, which began in 1989, nationally has certified 500,000 dogs as good citizens, Burch said. Owners of any number of breeds with bad reputations — Rottweilers, chows, Dobermans and bull breeds — have also been able to obtain homeowners insurance as long as the dog receives the good-citizen certification, Burch said.
"They're telling the the data shows it makes a difference," she said. "The best parallel is to driver's education. If you train teens, they are less likely to have an incident. If you give breeds and owners training, you are less likely to have an incident."
But even with programs such as these, incidents do occur.
Earlier this month, a 3-year-old girl was bitten in the face by a family dog — a pit-bull mix— while she played at her aunt's Cranston home. The toddler was taken to Rhode Island Hospital where she required stitches to the cheek and lip and above one eye.
The dog, a 3-year old named Tyson, was taken to the city animal shelter. The owner said she would not take the dog back, even if officials determine the dog is not a threat if properly supervised.
Parker said it's all about knowing your dog, and training it properly.
"I'd trust my dog as golden around my granddaughter," she said.
Like Parker, Burch said that with proper training and supervision, any dog can be obedient.
"Some people like to write off pit-bull breeds," she said. "They look at the aggression in the breed, but in terms of responsible dog ownership, it can be a great family pet if the breeder makes sure it's in the right home, under the right conditions and is trained properly to prevent problems."
More information about Canine Good Citizen programs can be obtained from the AKC's Web site — www. akc.org — and from pet stores. Parker's course, lasting six to eight weeks, costs $165, but she provides training for shelter animals for free.
"We believe that there aren't really any bad dogs. What you have is a problem with owners who need to be more responsible and who need more training…"
>American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen Program
West Warwick
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