There are, in fact, "bad" dogs.

Perhaps because they were poorly bred or badly raised .. they do exist. Happily, most dogs quickly respond to human care.

HOWEVER, the breeds that we developed to be dog-aggressive are not good pets, and I encourage their elimination. That seems harsh, but I mean that the Pits, Staffs and others should never be bred.

It will be a long time before we get the dog-aggressive trait out of our pet dogs. We must start right now. Legislate, tax, whatever.

Dogs are family companions, protectors and friends. Dog nature has been this for 10,000 years. Tolerating the intrusion of pit-bull aggression threatens our relationship.

End pit bulls now.

We are Brian Williams and Jeannie Peterson. We're in our mid-fifties (kids grown and flown, and we have two Schipperkes. Our adult dog experience is limited to these two, Virginia (b. 1998) and Bo (b. 2000).

Our dog-training background is limited to raising these two, with some happy agility training, and years of playing in urban dog parks, forests and mountains with them. More about that in a sec; first, I'd like to explain my (Brian's) raving post.

Virginia was savaged by a young pit bull when she was about 1-yr. In our neighbourhood, a PB leapt from a parked truck and ripped her off her leash as we were passing. The PB's owner/companion hauled the killer off and apologized. Virginia needed some abdominal sutures, but the damage was mostly emotional.

28 November 2004, we were walking the beautiful trail to Admiralty Point in Belcarra Park with both mutts, off leash. An unleashed PB-x appeared .. like a silent lightning bolt. He seized Bo, shook him like a rag and attempted to kill him. A melee ensued. I fell on the attacker; kicked and beat the Pit desperately. The PB's family appeared quickly and got their dog off ours. Bo lost some big clumps of fur, but surprisingly had only a few little skin punctures. Once again, many apologies.

It is not the physical damage -- it's the behaviour that is alarming.

Our schips are 20 and 23 lbs; Bo is taller at 13", very athletic and outgoing. He's been in a dozen dust-ups with bigger dogs, usually prompted by his pushy nature. The outcome is always the same. He is knocked down, paw-swatted and rolled over. He bounces up with his cheeky grin intact, but his posture says "I give". The winner wags and trots off, tail-high, honour intact on both sides. That's dog-to-dog communication.

The breeds that have lost the canine ability to recognize their own species truly scare me.

Pit Bull fanciers argue that it's not true. BS. We humans are too good at playing God. We have perverted some breeds so that they will happily kill their own kind without provocation.

That is a theory, though borne out by experience broader than ours. Worse is the loss of respect for humans seen in some dogs. That is, I believe, what Animal Advocates is working most effectively to end.

Any dog can be a killer. The long-muzzled dogs like Golden Retrievers, GSDs and all the spitzes are one genetic step from wolf, physically. Mentally, we have played God, a bit.

We humans have adopted them into our pack. We show a little kindness, and they respond with endless loyalty. Dogs are not stupid, and they are not slaves. But their intelligence makes them perfect partners with us.

We break the contract when we abuse our partners. When we chain, confine, and neglect them. Especially, when we promise inclusion in our family, then isolate this most social, intelligent being.

Every human signs the contract when he adopts a pup. Too many break it through ignorance.