The Waiting Room

There is a local talk radio show that I listen to in the mornings. The regular host is on vacation, so the evening guy filled in. I don't listen to this guy regularly. What I have noticed this week is that he tends to yell at the callers if he does not agree with them.

Today's topic dealt with a dog attack that happened locally. The dog in question was an American pit bull. The substitute host was going on and on about how horrible pit bulls are. He suggested that these, as well as other breeds, should be banned. He gave several examples of pit bull attacks in the news such as the one that killed the woman in San Fransisco, as she attempted to enter her apartment a few years ago.

The dogs in that case were not pit bulls, they were Presa Canario . Not even close to a pit bull.


I decided to call in to correct the misinformation about the San Fransisco story and to voice my opinion on the banning of certain dog breeds. I mentioned to the host that he incorrectly identified the breed of dog in the San Fransisco case as a pit bull. At that point, dude went completely Bill O'Reilly on me (Thanks, GML for that one!) He started screaming at me that I was wrong and that I did not know what I was talking about. I offered to send him the article that I linked above, but he would not hear of it. Finally, in an amazingly calm voice, I said "It is not necessary to yell at me for pointing out your mistake." "Now, I would like to get to my point about pit bulls."

He finally settled down, and I made my point.

I referenced a recent Dog Fancy article about the American Pit Bull and how aggression has unfortunately bred into this breed. In fact, the breed was not breed for protection or aggression. On the contrary, the American Pit Bull Terrier is a cheerful and versatile. They are loving, clownish and so misunderstood (Dog Fancy, July 2007).

In addition, I opined that regardless of the breed of dog, pet guardians have a responsibility to property train and socialize our dogs with family, other people and other animals. Children should be taught not to pull a dog's ears or tail or disturb it while eating. Even the sweetest pet can "snap". We must ensure that if our dog displays any viscous tendencies that it is immediately evaluated by a vet or pet behaviorist.

After all of that, I don't think he agreed with me on any points. But, I am not surprised. I didn't expect him to. I think he had his mind made up at the beginning of the program. Which is fine. But to scream at someone because she pointed out a mistake, and who does not agree with a position, is counter productive and speaks volumes about this person's character.

I guess the station should have a warning to beware of vicious hosts.