I’m not an “ambassador” damn it, I’m a dog.

No doubt with the best of intentions, I see rescue organizations again and again talk about their dogs as “ambassadors” of the breed – none more so than in bully breed rescues. Reviled, demonized and labelled, the often misnamed “pit bulls” are subsequently often held to a far more rigid standard of behaviour than any other breed.

This is just wrong.

“Pit bulls”, usually mixes of the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier, boxers, mastiffs (hell, you name it and someone will label ANY dog with a boxy head and super short fur, a “pit bull” ) are somehow expected to be perfect if they are to be allowed to survive – even by the rescue organizations purportedly created to rescue them. “Normal” dog behaviour is often dismissed as unacceptable and dogs are labelled aggressive, fearful, “too undisciplined”... not “perfect ambassadors” and therefore not good enough to live.

The very myths perpetuated by those who in their ignorance and blindness would label a dog “bad” based entirely on appearance are often unwittingly supported by those who say they love the breed. By holding every dog to an unrealistic pattern of behaviour, thousands of dogs (already under siege) are condemned to an unfair death – often based on tests which if failed by another breed, would simply identify areas of concern.

Ultimately, every dog has the right to be judged not on often flawed perceptions of “breed type” but on their individual merits.

It is natural and part of human nature to assume certain characteristics are indicative of a specific breed. But painting a broad stroke over a certain type of dog – particularly one that by its very nature is a mish-mash of a broad spectrum of other breeds – is ultimately counter-productive and feeds into the very myths we seek to explode.

“Naturally” aggressive; “locking jaws”; “their nature to bite”; negative stereotypes that have been so thoroughly and successfully disseminated by a government who see these dogs as incredibly useful political tools used to sway an ignorant electorate and bolstered on every side by media who see positive sound bites as an acceptable trade-off for the slaughter of innocent lives. Equally destructive, however, are staffie (and their ilk) lovers who randomly declare that “pit bulls” “love kids”, “are big clowns”, “nanny dogs” ... because in their own way, these blanket statements create a perception that ALL dogs of a certain breed exhibit these same benign characteristics, thus setting up a perfectly balanced dog for potential destruction if he doesn’t follow the stereotype.

The malignant, systematic and sadly successful campaign to demonize “pit bulls” by the Liberal government and the gleeful support by media has created an atmosphere of fear and loathing among the general populace when bully breed dogs are encountered in the realm of every-day life. Short haired, muscular dogs with boxy heads and whippy tails are almost universally reacted to on the streets of Ontario cities and towns, carrying on their backs a heavy caseload of misinformation and perceptions they don’t deserve. This campaign of fear and harassment has ultimately separated dogs labelled “pit bulls” (wrongly) from all other dogs – conferring on them characteristics that are somehow perceived to be intrinsic to “them” and not indicative of dogs generally. They have been made to be separate and apart from “other” types of dogs, as if having certain physical characteristics somehow trumps the 99.99% of genes they carry in common with EVERY dog from Irish Wolfhounds to Yorkipoos...

The reality is that these misidentified dogs are simply that – dogs. Depending on the mix from which they spring, they could embody myriad personality traits that are often (but NOT always) reflective of a specific breed, but like with any dog, the manner in which they are treated, the guidance and training they receive, the life experience they encounter coalesce to make each dog a unique and individual entity.

In our zeal to combat the malicious and concerted efforts of the Liberals to destroy dogs based on appearance and bolstered by arguments which have been annihilated time and again, we must guard against creating an equally unsustainable perception of a “perfect” dog. In the end, what we should be seeking is public understanding that pit bulls, staffies, boxers (and the rest) – all those mislabelled, despised breeds are simply dogs... and as such, should be accorded the respect and treatment accorded to any other breed.