It is funny how they still left the leash on the dog. It just takes away from the picture. What are they afraid of, that the dog will jump and bite the camera guy? Pit bulls are just one misunderstood breed. They are bred for one thing, and that is to protect their family. Too bad they are banned in so many places.
I can't answer why they left the leash on, but my guess is that the nice green of the leash adds a pretty contrast to the color of the dog and the background. And to me it also implies a dog willing and ready to go a nice stroll whenever you say the word.
I don't feel it takes away from the picture.
They might not be afraid of anything. What's with the assumption?
And alas, I get to the real reason of my response. "Pit Bulls", more specifically the American Pit Bull Terrier (just 1 of the 4 'pit bull' breeds), were not, are not, and should never be bred for protection. I'm not sure where you got your information from, but the history of the breed is firm and doesn't vary.
The sad part is that many just refuse to accept the history of the breed because they personally find it morally wrong and possibly repulsive. But no matter one's feelings on the subject, history is what it is and you cannot change it just to satisfy one's morals & values.
The American Pit Bull Terrier, a dog derived from the bull & terrier cross pitdog from Europe, was bred specifically for dog fighting in the pit. It was designed to be the best pitdog of all the dogs currently being used as fighting dogs.
In addition to be a pitdog, it was still a family dog. Historical references point out cases of where a dog was matched late in the evening, cleaned up, and then allowed to rest the night away in the bed with the children.
It was a dog designed to be a human-friendly animal capable of being man's best friend and another pitdog's worst enemy. And it excelled.
It was this breeding specifically for the pit that gave us the even-tempered, good natured, clown-of-a-dog today that we call the APBT.
Never was the American Pit Bull Terrier bred to be a guard dog or a protection dog. Ever. In fact, the dogs had to be used to handling my strangers as before each match the opposing dog's owner would wash down the dog and of course a referee was involved in a match and who would want to do that with a HA dog? In a match, dogs are actually handled quite a lot. That's a lot to ask of a dog who is worked up and has only one thing on it's mind.
The reputation of the APBT took a turn for the worse after the HSUS intervened in the 1970's and begin producing mass publications proclaiming lies and falsehoods as "truths." Thanks to their unwanted attention, the APBT found a new market with the thugs and drug dealers gangbangers who were quite impressed with the wonder dog who feels no pain and can eat glass and ingest gunpowder with little to no ill effects. Thus the dogs began finding their way into the hands of these people who in addition to using them as penis extensions and intimidation factors, began to breed and peddle the dogs to anyone with cash.
Now, I do understand that those people had to get the dogs from somewhere, and never once did you hear me state that all those who owned APBTs back in the day were reputable people, but the fact remains that when the dogs were pitdogs and family dogs belonging to the agerage Joe, we didn't have the problems that we have today.
As for being banned kudos to BSL, BSL exists because of irresponsible owners who think it's ok for Foofy to go to the dog park and that it's ok for Fido to go run outside, unleashed, to do his business on the front lawn...or even the neighbors front lawns. It exists because people have turned the breeding of these dogs into a job and a lifestyle and only care about the money that it brings in. They could care less who they actually sell the dogs to. BSL exists because people who have unfortunately obtained a 'pit bull' with a less than stellar temperament keep making excuses for it (it was abused, it wasn't fed much, it wasn't petted much as a puppy.....boohoo) until the day it makes national headlines when it plants it's canines into the wrong person who actually reports it.
In short, BSL was caused and is caused by irresponsible and unreputable 'pit bull' owners. And the vast majority of these would've never even owned the dogs had the HSUS not started with their **** back in the day. In a few short years, the HSUS turned these dogs into one of the hottest commodities to hit the market since weed and cocaine and in return, they've gained a never-ending influx of donations that have only served to buy mansions and jets and expensive cars for the employees.
