Vault: Listeners are upset with The Bert Show

Summary

The Bert Show — Vault: Listeners Are Upset With The Bert Show

Date: June 29, 2026
Cast: Bert, Melissa, Jeff, (plus listeners)
Episode Theme:
A follow-up and open discussion about listener backlash after comments made on a previous show regarding dog aggression—specifically focusing on pit bulls and their reputation. The hosts clarify their positions, read listener emails, and facilitate a nuanced debate about breed perceptions, public safety, and personal experiences with dogs.

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the controversy sparked by a previous discussion about aggressive dogs at dog parks, with particular mention of pit bulls. After receiving a wave of critical emails from listeners—especially pit bull owners—Bert, Melissa, and the team revisit the topic to clarify what was said, provide context, and read/listen to responses. The conversation covers dog behavior in public spaces, breed stereotypes, the role of dog owners, and the emotionally charged nature of this debate.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recap of the Original Controversy (01:08–04:00)

• Bert recounts seeing aggressive dogs—mostly pit bulls—at Piedmont Park and calls for a dog park monitor.

  • Quote (Bert, 01:34): “I have gone to dog parks my entire life, and I can unequivocally say that I see pit bulls more aggressive than other breeds.”
  • He clarifies he’s seen aggression from multiple breeds, including his own (English bulldog), but pit bulls “always seem to be, like, looking for it.”

• Melissa shares her perspective as a previous Doberman owner, saying some people choose certain breeds for their protective/aggressive qualities.

  • Quote (Melissa, 03:13): “One of the reasons I purchased this Doberman... is because she was a Doberman and I needed a good guard dog. So I wanted a dog that had an aggressive nature.”

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2. Listener Backlash & Misinterpretations (04:04–06:46)

• Jeff and Melissa address listener emails accusing them of insulting pit bulls and their owners.

  • Quote (Jeff, 04:39): “Nobody said that if you own a pit bull you’re a bad person and deserve to rot in hell.”

• Melissa admits she said she wouldn’t own a pit bull, but would also not own small dogs, and this should not be seen as condemnation.

• Jeff adds that people instinctively get smaller dogs for reasons other than protection, in the same way some get large breeds for security.

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3. The Aggression Debate & Anecdotal Evidence (06:46–09:40)

• Discussion on whether breed reputation reflects reality, nature vs. nurture, and how dogs behave at home vs. public parks.

  • Melissa highlights that owners describe their pit bulls as sweet at home but notes the breed’s overall reputation remains.
  • Bert notes the offer of pit bull owners to bring their dogs to the studio doesn’t address the dog park scenario.

• Statistical & medical perspectives:

  • Melissa recounts a pediatric nurse’s 12 years’ experience seeing most severe child dog injuries coming from pit bulls.
    • Quote (Melissa, 09:30): “[Pit bulls] have these massive jaws and when they grab, they don’t let go... that’s what causes so much of the injury.”

• The idea is presented that pit bull aggression is less about frequency and more about severity and jaw strength.

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4. Live Listener Call: Carly, Pit Bull Owner (10:35–12:56)

• Carly, “the 90-pound mother of three” (identified from her email), calls in to clarify, stressing pit bulls are often unfairly characterized as human-aggressive.

  • Quote (Carly, 11:10): “It was sort of implied that pit bulls were human aggressive, and they’re not.”
  • She acknowledges some are dog-aggressive, not human-aggressive, and perhaps shouldn’t be in dog parks.

• Panel response:

  • Hosts clarify they were focused on dog-dog aggression, not human aggression.
  • Jeff reads CDC statistics citing pit bulls as involved in a third of fatal dog attacks, with Rottweilers second.
    • Quote (Jeff, 13:02): “238 people were killed by dogs in a 24 year old study and 32% of them were killed by pit bull dogs.”

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5. Public Perception, Media, and Owner Responsibility (12:56–14:23)

• Discussion about the role of media, dog fighting operations (Michael Vick reference), and breed branding in shaping public fear.

  • Melissa: Victim of reputation, not always reality.
  • Bert/Jeff: Acknowledgment that the perception will be hard for pit bull owners to “shake.”
    • Quote (Bert, 14:14): “That's going to be a tough one to shake for y'all because... listen to the statistics Jeff just rattled off.”

• Advice to owners: Channel frustration into advocacy against bad actors (e.g., dog fighters) rather than hosts expressing observational opinions.

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6. Show's Final Stance & Notable Closing Comments (14:23–14:53)

• The Bert Show reiterates they have no animosity toward pit bull owners and welcome listeners to their own perspectives.
  • Quote (Jeff, 14:33): “We don't have anything against you... you got a dial on your radio. Feel free to use it if you want.”
• Tease of further breed discussions for the rest of the day.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:08] Recap of Dog Park/Pit Bull Discussion
• [03:13] Melissa’s Rationale for Choosing Aggressive Breeds
• [04:39] Jeff Addresses Listener Misinterpretations & Tone
• [06:46] Comparing Dog Behavior at Home vs. Dog Parks
• [09:30] Medical Insight on Dog Injury Severity
• [10:40] Carly the Listener Calls In
• [13:02] CDC Statistics on Dog Attack Fatalities
• [14:14] The Challenge of Shifting Public Perception

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Notable Quotes

• Bert (01:34): “I have gone to dog parks my entire life, and I can unequivocally say that I see pit bulls more aggressive than other breeds.”
• Melissa (03:13): “I wanted a dog that had an aggressive nature.”
• Jeff (04:39): “Nobody said that if you own a pit bull you're a bad person and deserve to rot in hell.”
• Melissa (09:30): “[Pit bulls] have these massive jaws and when they grab, they don’t let go.”
• Carly (11:10): “It was sort of implied that pit bulls were human aggressive, and they're not.”
• Jeff (13:02): “238 people were killed by dogs in a 24-year-old study and 32% of them were killed by pit bulls.”
• Bert (14:14): “That's going to be a tough one to shake for y'all because... listen to the statistics Jeff just rattled off.”
• Jeff (14:33): “We don’t have anything against you... you got a dial on your radio. Feel free to use it if you want.”

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Tone & Language

• Candid, sometimes blunt, but attempts to clarify and avoid outright offense.
• The hosts are introspective about their language and acknowledge when their words are misinterpreted.
• Humor is used, even in moments of tension, to diffuse and reflect the authentic, conversational style of the show.

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Summary

This episode of The Bert Show provides a candid exploration of the controversy over breed-based dog aggression, especially focusing on pit bulls. The hosts address listener criticisms, clarify their intent, and acknowledge the complexities and heated emotions attached to the topic. They emphasize that their observations are based on experience and statistics, not animosity or judgment, and encourage listeners to channel their passion into positive advocacy. The episode provides an honest, often humorous, look at navigating public opinion, personal responsibility, and the emotional bonds we have with our pets.

Transcript

[A]

Hey everybody.

[B]

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[C]

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[A]

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[D]

Melissa, let's take a deep breath here. You ready?

[E]

Yes.

[D]

You ready to get into this?

[E]

I'm ready.

[F]

I'm ready.

[D]

All right, so if you weren't listening to the show yesterday, let me just quickly recap a conversation that we had in the 8 o' clock hour that really upset a whole bunch of Birch show listeners, specifically owners of pit bulls. Yesterday I said that I went to the dog park in Piedmont park over the weekend and I was really upset by the amount of dogs that were dog aggressive and the owners weren't doing anything about it.

[E]

Right.

[D]

Like the dog would attack another dog, the owner would get their aggressive dog, stop it for a second, then let him off the leash again. When the dog got in a fight again, it happened two or three different times. I saw three fights, two of them had to do with pit bulls over the weekend. Okay. So the initial conversation was really me begging the Piedmont Park Conservatory that the next time they open this dog park, which I think is in a couple of weeks, is to have some kind of monitor in there, someone that can say, look, because you obviously can't spot your own dog that's being aggressive, that your dog's aggressive, you got to get out of here, take off, see, in a couple of weeks or whatever. So that was my suggestion. And then we started, we started having a side conversation about pit bulls. And I specifically said, you know, two of the three fights that I saw were pit bulls. And I'm weary of pit bulls titles. So, yeah, I just, you know, I've gone to dog parks my entire life, and I'm going to read some emails that we got from very upset pit bull owners yesterday. But I have gone to dog parks my entire life, and I can unequivocally say that I see pit bulls more aggressive than other breeds. Sure, from time to time, a Doberman will go after another dog. From time to time, a poodle will go after another dog. I've seen my breed, English bulldogs, you know, you get your alpha dogs together, there are going to be fights.

[E]

Right.

[D]

But I can tell you that in my experience, that pit bulls always seem to be, like, looking for it. They just got this attitude like, who's next? Let's go.

[F]

Right?

[E]

And then my comment was that I felt that. And I have owned a Doberman. I have owned an aggressive dog. And from my perspective, one of the reasons I purchased this Doberman or adopted her is because she was a Doberman and I was new to Atlanta and I needed a good guard dog. So I wanted a dog that had an aggressive nature. I chose a Doberman. My comment yesterday was that dogs, and I included German shepherds, Doberman, Rottweiler in this, as well as pit bulls, but owners of these dogs going in, if you chose that breed, you. You have done it. One of the purposes is so that it'd be good guard dog. You know, its aggressive nature, you know, it's protective nature.

[D]

And so that that statement right there was really started the firestorm.

[E]

That is what I got all the emails on, because I had insulted pit bull owners and pit bulls. How is that insulting, though? I am confused on why that's insulting.

[G]

There's nothing insulting about what either Burt or Melissa said. Like, Bert said that I've seen a lot of dog fights and more than half of them involved, or whatever your statistic was with them. A lot of them involve pit bulls, more pit bulls than any other individual breed. And Melissa said that the owners of pit bulls select those dogs because they have a protective and aggressive nature. There's nothing. Nobody said that if you own a pit bull, you're a bad person and deserve to rot in hell.

[D]

Right.

[G]

Or pit bulls should be banned from the earth.

[E]

Bulls are bad dogs.

[G]

Nobody ever said that. But the emails that came in were.

[E]

Now, what might have. I mean, because both Byrne and I yesterday did say that neither one of us would own a pit bull. Like, I did say that I don't think I would own a pit bull. What I should have added to that is I also am not A big fan of small dogs. Like, I think it's the same as saying a small dog barks more often than a big dog. I don't think that that is going against what you normally see. And I'm not a big fan of small dogs. I like big dogs. And why? Because I like to feel protected. I like big dogs in my house, so. But I. With pit bulls, yes, it's just a braid that I personally would not own. But. But that may have been what people misinterpreted as me saying, if you're a pit bull, then you're dumb and.

[G]

No, this.

[E]

That's not what I said.

[G]

Melissa does own a big dog for protection, but if you have a strobe light, you can throw it into a seizure pretty quickly and totally rob her entire house.

[E]

GG this email says, and Sully would just lick him to death, but in

[G]

theory, suck their dick.

[D]

Melissa's house sucked her bit.

[G]

Yeah,

[D]

this one says Melissa mentioned that people get pits because they're aggressive. Not true. Capital letters not true.

[E]

Okay.

[D]

I rescued mine from abusive owners and now they are therapy dogs. They go to nursing homes as therapy dogs and are very well behaved. And what about Cesar Millan's dogs? He and daddy and now Junior, who he uses to tame other dogs? Did you know that Helen Keller had a pit bull as a therapy dog? Or that the dog in the Little Rascals is a pit? And by Melissa's reasoning about people wanting pits because they're aggressive. Rachael Ray, Jessica Biel, Jessica Albert, Thomas Edison, very aggressive guy. Thomas Edison.

[E]

I'm not calling the owners aggressive. And I guarantee Rachael rave. She has a pit bull feels protected at home if somebody rings her bell and the pit bull's back.

[G]

Melissa's statement is no different than saying that people who get those little Percival dogs, you know what I mean, did not get that dog. Little yippee dog did not get that dog for its protective nature. There's nothing wrong with that. If you get a dog whose maximum weight is less than my cat, you did not buy that dog to protect you in the event someone comes through the window of your house and no yap yap dog owner is going to call up and go, I can't believe you would say that.

[E]

Well, I'm sure I'll get those emails today. But I. I'm also fascinated by the people who talk about their dogs being sweet. Well, I hope they're sweet in your home because you're the alpha and you have a dog in your home. Of course, they're going to be sweet to their family. That's the point of having a dog in your home. So I don't dispute that the dog can be sweet. I don't dispute rescuing a dog from an abusive environment I think is wonderful. I think that's fantastic. But in general, people are familiar with pit bulls being an aggressive breed.

[D]

And I got a bunch of emails yesterday from people said, let me bring my pit bull into your studio and I'll show you how sweet it is.

[E]

Yeah, that's okay.

[D]

Yeah. A, I'm okay, but B, your dog might be fine in this atmosphere. When I have seen pit bulls be aggressive, it's when there are 20, 30 other dogs running around, they're off the leash and they're more aggressive, in my opinion, because than I have seen other races.

[G]

And you have to acknowledge that Bert didn't say your pit bull is a bad dog. He said that when he observes group dog environments, the majority of the dogs that cause trouble are pit bulls. There is a reason that they are the fighting dog. Like, that wasn't. There is a very specific reason that Michael Vick didn't have French poodles. You know what I mean? You gotta acknowledge that like it's a fact.

[E]

It wasn't golden retrievers.

[G]

Right?

[D]

Well, let me disp. Golden retriever.

[G]

Like, he wasn't running around with a bunch of. They found a bunch of Pomeranians behind his property in West Virginia.

[D]

I am a 90 pound mother of three and can tell you why I own the dogs I own. These are pit bulls because they are intelligent and incredibly loving dogs. I grew up with a pit bull, and I have to tell you that in temp tests that the most likely dog to bite is a golden retriever.

[E]

All right, well, last night I was at home watching television. Katie, one of her best friends, is a pediatric nurse, and she was over last night, and they happen to have a side conversation because they had taken our dogs for a walk for exercise last night. They came home, they're just having a conversation. So dogs was the center of the conversation because, I mean, that's what they had just done. So. And pit bulls came up in the conversation. I don't remember how they did. Now, Katie's best friend, I mean, certainly did not give specifics because she's not allowed to. But I did ask the question, since you're bringing up pit bulls and we're talking about this, how long have you been a nurse? And she's like, I've been a nurse for 12 years. And I said, so in your experience, when you have seen children come. Because she's pediatric, so she specializes in children. I said, when you've seen children come in with dog injuries, what is the breed that you see the most? And she said to me that in her 12 years of experience that it's the pit bulls and that she does not remember seeing, because she usually works in the trauma units, that she has not seen severe injuries from a dog of any other breed but pit bulls. Then she went on to explain that's a strong statement. But she went on to explain the reason for that is not because pit bull necessarily is the most aggressive dog. It's. It is because pit bulls don't let go. That pit bulls have these massive jaws and that when they grab, they don't let go.

[D]

They lock.

[E]

They lock. And that's what causes so much of the injury. So they don't bite and let go like a warning shot. Once they get you, they're not going to let go.

[D]

So there are other dogs that are biting, but they're letting go, but they're

[E]

letting go and not the pit bull. It's like a nip, maybe more. Now people are going to be mad about that. But this is someone who has 12 years of practicing medicine and in her one view has seen these injuries. Again, the commentary is that they have an aggressive nature. And she did mention. She said that it was years ago that they were called the nanny dog, that pit bulls were considered, you know, like good around children and protective of children. And then she said she's not sure why. In the past 20 years, there has been a change, whether it's inbreeding, whether it's like, Jeff brought up, you know, a lot of the fighting that camps that are going on that are focusing on pit bulls. But that is what she's seen. And so I said, well, I mean. And that was completely. She did not even hear our conversation yesterday.

[D]

Here's Carlie. Hey, car, you're on Q100.

[H]

Hi.

[D]

Hey.

[H]

That was my email. I am the 90 pound mother of three.

[D]

Oh, hey, 90 pound mother of three. What's up?

[H]

Hi. Well, I just wanted to call in and say that I really felt like yesterday you guys were speaking not from basic knowledge of the breed, but basically going on about how they. I'm sorry, I'm trying to drive in traffic. I'm probably going to kill myself.

[D]

That would be bad.

[G]

Your dog's gonna do it eventually, so.

[H]

Oh, you're so funny, Jeff. It was sort of implied that pit bulls were human aggressive and they're not.

[E]

Well, I can.

[D]

Carly, I don't know about human aggressive. Here's what I can tell you because I've seen with my own eyes, in my own experience, that more often when I'm in dog parks, the dogs that are getting into fights, I've seen this with my own eyes, are pit bulls. So I'm not completely talking out of. With no experience.

[G]

And Melissa just told a story about the scale of injuries versus with pit bull bites versus other dog bites. So.

[H]

But that was from one nurse's opinion

[E]

of 12 years experience.

[H]

12 years experience.

[E]

And it wasn't just one incident.

[H]

I understand that. But the fact is that they are not human aggressive dogs. But then they're dog aggressive dogs.

[E]

You love pit bulls.

[H]

They may be dog aggressive, but that is part of their temperament and they probably shouldn't be in dog parks.

[D]

That's what Bert was.

[E]

Why did you send the email disputing Bert when you're agreeing with him?

[H]

I'm not saying that they are aggressive to humans. You guys imply that they were aggressive to humans. Just said I wouldn't have to kill myself because my dogs probably will. And not all of them are aggressive to dogs. But it's not against their original. You know, there's a standard for each breed.

[D]

Yeah.

[H]

Being dog aggressive is part of their standard. Now I know some amazing, amazing. And staffs and pit bulls.

[G]

Yeah.

[D]

Carly, I think you got, I think you got a little twisted yesterday. We were talking about the dog parks. I don't even know that human aggressive was even part of the conversation.

[E]

I think she's. What she's interpreting what I said about using him as guard dogs for your home.

[H]

Yes. Because they are not guard dogs in the slightest.

[G]

Carly, just reading from something from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention here in Atlanta. 238 people were killed by dogs in a 24 year old study and 32% of them were killed by pit bulldogs.

[H]

And what were the rest of them? Because I've looked at that study myself.

[G]

The next highest number of fatalities was 44 fatalities. That's about half the percentage. And that was rottweilers. So one third of the people killed by dogs in a 24 year old study were killed by pit bulls.

[D]

Now the rottweilers people are calling the cdc. Don't call us.

[E]

I have no problem with pit bulls. I have no problem with Rottweilers, Dobermans, German shepherds. I have no problem with that. But I mean, I wish that Carl was here today because Carl, when he was trying to find A dog to protect his home. One of the breeds he was thinking about was a pit bull and his wife said no because they have three kids.

[G]

And he acknowledged that it's a, he acknowledged that it's a dangerous dog.

[F]

Right, right.

[E]

So I mean, the last caller grew up with pit bulls. Of course, when you grow up with the breed, you're, you're protective and sensitive about that. And I think people were incredibly sensitive about our conversation yesterday. But the general population's view, whoever's fault it is, if you consider it somebody's fault, but their perception of pit bulls as being an aggressive breed, and for some the most aggressive breed, that's going

[D]

to be a very, and I know you pitbull bull owners do not like that brand, but that's going to be a tough one to shake for y' all because I mean, listen to the statistics Jeff just rattled off.

[E]

Yeah, I think you should. I mean, and I hope that you're organizing to fight the Michael Vick's of the world because they're the ones that have helped add to this reputation.

[B]

Agreed.

[G]

And we don't have anything against you. Like you don't have to write and say you never listen or we hate you, whatever. We're just vert made an observation. Melissa made an observation. I read a statistic. Leave us alone. You got a dial on your radio. Feel free to use it if you want, but I'm pretty sure that Vicky's getting into a pretty intense Rottweiler Doberman conversation.

[D]

Later on today, the Birch Show.

[B]

Hey everybody, lady luck here and we're celebrating America's 250th birthday. Now all summer long I'm going to be celebrating by playing on spinquest.com which is an American owned social casino. It obviously features over a thousand slot games and live blackjack, live craps, live bubble craps. Head on over to spinquest.com get yourself a $30 coin pack for just 10 bucks.

[C]

Spin Quest is a free to play social casino void where prohibited visits are. BenQuest.com for more details.

[A]

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[D]

So good, so good, so good.

[F]

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