My dog was featured in an interview of Ellen Taft, a woman who wants to ban pit bulls and many other breeds as service dogs. My dog has a big head and looks like a pit bull, though she’s actually a Boxer mix, possibly with Greyhound. Ellen Taft definitely has it out for pit bull type dogs, but also mentioned that, among other breeds, Greyhounds shouldn’t be service dogs because, and I quote, “A Greyhound is a very, very stupid dog. It was trained for one purpose, it was trained to run.”
I have to counter that statement. One, any dog can be trained to do a task, given enough determination on the part of the owner/trainer. Two, I’m pretty certain the word she wanted there was “bred” to run, not “trained.” If it were trained to run, wouldn’t that make it a trainable dog? 
Who is she to say whether the greyhound she saw had been trained to do the tasks required by that person?
Statements like these are no more than blatant racism. Dogs are dogs. Their genetics do make them awfully hard to train to fly, but certainly they can be trained for service dog work, especially since every disability requires a different set of skills from the service dog. If she wants to make it so that no aggressive dogs are on the street as service dogs, I’m fine with that, more than fine! You’d have to do temperament tests to certify the dogs themselves, not wipe out an entire set of breeds in a racist way. And if you require all service dogs to be professionally trained, than many people who need them would not get service dogs, because of the $5,000-$10,000 price tag.
Click here to see the interview which includes me training my dog, Sagan (a Boxer/Greyhound mix), to do a service dog tasks, picking things up for me. I’ve had a bad back for years and some days it’s better than others. I don’t need a service dog to take out into public right now, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a dog ready if things do get worse. And she’s very handy around the house already!
A final comment - American Pit Bull Terriers had a passing rate of 84.3% when tested by the American Temperament Testing Society. Golden Retrievers had a passing rate of 84.2%. If a pit bull does something bad, it makes the news, and the breed is in the headline. When a Labrador Retriever does something bad, like kill a baby, the headline skips the breed and says, “Dog Kills 2-Month-Old Left Alone in Swing.” Please don’t let the media brainwash you and poison you against a family of breeds like pit bulls.
Written by Grisha Stewart, Ahimsa Dog Training, SeattleLiked This Article? Please Bookmark It!
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August 7th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Hello,
great article.
I think it’s not so much “racist”, but “breedist”.
Is Taft a breeder of some sort?
Keep up the good fight.
August 7th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I use “racist” because I want people to think in those terms, that she’s saying Pit Bulls, Greyhounds, etc. are not capable of service dog work because of their looks & genes, or her own limited experience with the breeds, rather than looking at the individual dog’s resume, as it were.
I don’t think Taft is a breeder.
Thanks, I will keep up the fight!
August 14th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I agree that it is racist to say that one breed of dog is more of a danger than another. Saying “Pit bulls are aggressive” is the same as saying “Black people can’t think for themselves.” It’s a horrible premise to pass onto the next generation of dog owners. Dogs tend to mirror their owner’s personality, that being said, some dogs (like people) regardless of breed, size, or background may have some personality disorder or chemical imbalance that makes them aggressive or dumb. People just want a One-Size-Fits-All solution to what they see as an epidemic of dog attacks (there are 74.8 million dogs in the USA and 4.7 million people were bitten last year, and there were 32 fatal dog maulings), but there isn’t one.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
In response to the woman who stated that greyhounds are stupid and can’t be trained as service dogs: I have rescued greyhounds for 21 years and had several who volunteered in nursing homes and elementary schools with me over the years. They are not stupid - they are intelligent and gentle, quick learners, eager to please, and easy to train. There is a local Seattle woman who not only owns a pet supply store and doggie day care and rescues greyhounds, but also founded a non-profit to certify all dogs, including greyhounds, as service dogs. The woman who make this statement needs to get her facts straight before she makes uninformed, blanket statements that are targeted at certain breeds and does nothing but cause harm and spread misinformation to the public.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
I have just joined in the battle against this woman, and the mindset she’s attempting to spread. I think it’s a valid analogy to use racism. I’ve heard it used in the case of my own loss in court against a restaurant owner who discriminated against me because my dog was not dressed. (And probably because he’s a GSD, not a Lab/Golden CCI type dog). She said I ranted and raved, and she had the right to refuse service. That flew with the judge, but what if it was over racism, not my dog? Would I have lost, then?
I think it’s insanity to be against a breed of dog. The most common mutt out there now has some pit bull in them. It’s just as stupid to want to eradicate a type of dog, as it is a race of human, simply because some commit crimes. And there’s suuuuch a misunderstanding of aggression out there! Argh, don’t get me started ha ha.
Thanks for standing up for the dogs, and for the rights of people with disabilities.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
If others want to help stop breed specific service dogs, APDT along w/disabilty rights Washington and Oregon are working to help stop legislation before it gets out of hand. There are a number of APDT members who are working on the sidelines to stop this.
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:15 am
I am the proud and happy owner of a two year old american staffordshire “pit Bull” terrier. She is the sweetest and most loyal dog I have owned. Mattie and I have been through puppy kindergarden, obedience school and Mattie is certified as a canine good citizen. I am a 100% against the Breed-specific legislation (BSL), The American Temperament Test Society has currently tested almost 1000 American Staffordshires, another 1000 American Pit Bulls, and another hundred Staffies (British cousins of AmStafs). The lowest score for those three ‘pitts’ was given to the AmStafs, with a pass rate of 83.9%. Who has a similar rating? Golden Retrievers at 83.8%. The overal average of all combined breeds was 82.4%. If you target and euthanize specific breeds…where will it stop!!! So please be wary of politicians pushing BSL. Fear-based legislation sells, even if its a wild-goose chase and the facts are tainted. To most people, BSL seems reasonable on the surface, so theyd be inclined to vote for or support it if it came up. Bottom line is that all dog owners should be held responsible for their dogs behaviors. If you cant handle your dog, whether its a pit or a Pomeranian, dont get a dog! If you dont have the time to exercise them and train them properly, dont get a dog!
September 5th, 2008 at 11:02 am
I am a proud owner of a boxer. When I walk her I get dirty looks and many people ask me if she is a pit bull. My boxer rescued baby squirrels from our back yard and has recently adopted a ferret as a “brother” why do people assume she is a killer? The media and uneducated individuals like Ellen Taft. She is also slightly dog aggressive and I am working on that with her. The crazy thing is I brought her to my cousins home whom owns two pit bulls (on was attacked by another pit) The three dogs whom have never meet before got along just fine….. It disgust me that people toss the race card around and it doesn’t even have to be people. What next trying to ban domesticated pixy bobs? I would like to fight this uneducated woman whom is a breedist.