Robert Blau`s recent article about the pitbull attack of an 8-year-old girl reminds me of an equally sad incident of several months ago. I saw a young man with a pitbull puppy on a leash. The puppy was irresistibly cute. I asked if it was friendly and if I could pet it. He replied that his dog was
”too friendly” and, indeed, it nuzzled, wiggled and licked my hand with delight. It was a bliss-ful, tender and relaxing moment in an otherwise harried day.
I asked the young man what he intended to do with his puppy, knowing the reputation pitbulls have. To my horror, he said he planned to have the dog trained to be a watchdog for his van. I asked him what the training involved. He told me that trainers teach the dog not to be friendly to strangers. He said trainers punish the dog for friendly responses. In other words, the dog is trained to be mean. I felt revulsed, sickened. I couldn`t restrain the tears and hurt. I was sadly reminded once again of what we do to animals and to each other.
As a certified counselor I see people who are victims of abuse and those who do the abusing. I have learned that violence and abuse are learned behaviors, that aggression not tempered by the desire for the common good leads to self-destruction, and that meanness is but an outlet for our poorly understood frustrations.
Peace is a search and I only wish more of us were on the journey.
