Jesse Bering
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With all the negative publicity surrounding pit bulls today, why would anyone choose to have this type of dog that triggers prejudice in many people’s minds? Both the dog and the owner are likely to suffer from the negative stereotypes others hold: killer and thug, respectively. I’m not proud of these bigoted associations, but I must say that, prior to writing this piece, when I thought “pit bull,” my mind immediately conjured up an Eminem soundtrack and naked lady mud flaps.
But that was then and this is now. Although I fully expected to write about pit bull owners being stunningly naive about the inborn characteristics of their own breed of choice, insisting on seeing these creatures as “blank slates” whose temperaments are infinitely malleable to suit their needs, having now read up on the recent literature in this area I have changed my mind.
What made me really begin to sympathize with the responsible pit bull owner was a 2000 case study published in Society & Animals by Hillary Twining, Arnold Arluke and Gary Patronek, a team of researchers from the Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy. In this article, the authors collected anecdotes and stories from pit bull owners, demonstrating very clearly just how emotionally attached many people are to their pit bulls and conveying the lengths they must go in managing the stigma of having such an “outlaw” breed in a society that doesn’t understand. Twining and her co-authors note that when it comes to acquiring a pit bull:
On the one hand, some people might be drawn to this breed in the hope of exploiting and perpetuating its vicious reputation. Such owners seek to use their dogs as status symbols of power and aggression and to reap the secondary benefits of an intimidating persona. On the other hand, some people might see qualities in this breed that run contrary to its negative image and want to establish “traditional” human-dog relationships with their pit bulls. Nevertheless, they “inherit,” and presumably must contend with, adverse public perceptions of their pets.
The authors interpret these first-person anecdotes about “what it’s like having a pit bull” using the sociologist Erving Goffman’s “impression management” theoretical framework. For example, to “pass” in society as a pit bull owner, many people found themselves negotiating in some way with other members in society. This was usually to avoid confrontations, fear, and embarrassing social scenarios. The negative stereotypes of pit bulls were especially pronounced when children were involved. Nearly all pit bull owners interviewed for the study said that they used one or more of the following strategies to cope with the stigma of having this outlaw breed:
1. Passing them as a breed other than a pit bull
“A lot of it depends on the people you meet ... If I see people [who are] very timid with dogs, a lot of times I’ll tell them [my dog] is an American bulldog, because he does look a lot like the picture of an American bulldog ... Sometimes we’ll just say—if they’re really afraid of dogs—we’ll say, ‘Oh, he’s a boxer mix.’”
2. Denying that their dogs’ behavior is biologically predetermined
“My brother-in-law was telling my sister all the reasons why not to [get a pit bull]—you know, the horror stories. Yeah, they happen, but ... any dog could be that way if you train him and treat him that way.”
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104 Comments
Add CommentIt's a common turn of phrase, that, while not perfect grammatically, still effectively conveys a certain feeling and sense.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn response to the article, I am a pit bull owner. Our family dog when I was a child was a pit bull, and when the reports of pit bull attacks started to become more widespread in the mid '90s, they never really registered with me. My Kahlua was the best dog ever (of course). Later on, I helped baby sit my sister's pit bull, Zeke. It was then that I understood that younger, larger pit bulls can elicit strong reactions, and are also very athletic, energetic dogs. When it came time for me to choose my own dog, I knew full well what I was getting into, and made the conscious choice to get a rescued pit bull puppy. I felt then that I knew the good traits of pit bulls, strength, loyalty, etc., and that having a pit bull would force me to be diligent and responsible when it came to the dog's training and behavior. I never wanted my dog to be seen as "one of those" pit bulls. It is now two years later, and my little puppy is now 71 lbs., and I am proud to say that she is everything I wanted her to be. Regular exercise, discipline, and training have yielded a dog that I proudly call a pit bull, knowing she is a representative of what the breed can be, and helps dispel the stereotypes. She loves everyone she meets, and if someone ever tried to break into our house, their only danger from Bailey would be if they were severely allergic to dog slobber on their faces. We even have two cats that regularly boss her around and coexist peacefully with her. It takes a lot of work, and it's not for everyone. But for me, it's been well worth it.
It's a common turn of phrase, that, while not perfect grammatically, still effectively conveys a certain feeling and sense.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn response to the article, I am a pit bull owner. Our family dog when I was a child was a pit bull, and when the reports of pit bull attacks started to become more widespread in the mid '90s, they never really registered with me. My Kahlua was the best dog ever (of course). Later on, I helped baby sit my sister's pit bull, Zeke. It was then that I understood that younger, larger pit bulls can elicit strong reactions, and are also very athletic, energetic dogs. When it came time for me to choose my own dog, I knew full well what I was getting into, and made the conscious choice to get a rescued pit bull puppy. I felt then that I knew the good traits of pit bulls, strength, loyalty, etc., and that having a pit bull would force me to be diligent and responsible when it came to the dog's training and behavior. I never wanted my dog to be seen as "one of those" pit bulls. It is now two years later, and my little puppy is now 71 lbs., and I am proud to say that she is everything I wanted her to be. Regular exercise, discipline, and training have yielded a dog that I proudly call a pit bull, knowing she is a representative of what the breed can be, and helps dispel the stereotypes. She loves everyone she meets, and if someone ever tried to break into our house, their only danger from Bailey would be if they were severely allergic to dog slobber on their faces. We even have two cats that regularly boss her around and coexist peacefully with her. It takes a lot of work, and it's not for everyone. But for me, it's been well worth it.
@candide: oh, candide. you can't possibly be that stiff?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBeing a science magazine, I would have expected some actual analysis here. Anecdotal evidence is generally incredibly biased, as shown by the responses of pit bull owners. A pit bull owner will lie about their dog breed and attempt to make it more socially acceptable, however we're meant to take statistics from owners about how violent they are seriously?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere's also nothing in the article answering the comments posed by the writer. Are owners naive or not on the characteristics of their pet? Why to people choose to keep a pit bull as a pet?
Since anecdotal evidence is now useful, I can add to this. I was bitten by a dog (not a pit bull) a few years ago. The owner first claimed I wasn't bitten by a dog. Second, they claimed I acted to annoy it (I didn't even see the animal, I'd already passed the owners house and was walking away from the dog, with my earphones in, when it bit me on the back of the leg). Thirdly, it was just "being playful". Owners will defend their choices to the end regardless of how little or how much logic there is behind it. Sadly, this article failed to look into that logic at all, it instead managed to take two pages to point out that people who buy pit bulls like pit bulls.
My neighbors took a stray pit bull puppy in. They already had several dogs. The dog never showed the slightest hostility or bad intent. One day the family went out to church and when they returned, the dog was so excited to hear them returning home that she nipped their poodle and accidentally killed it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPit bulls are just dogs. But they're very capable dogs. And when they do bite, even in play, bad things can happen.
And it doesn't help that this most friendly of breeds attracts owners who are aggressive and hostile people with the intelligence of a tse tse fly. That's a bad combination.
Anyway, if you want to own a pit bull, you probably shouldn't have any cats in the house or small dogs. And you definitely shouldn't have young children. One bite from a normal dog and a kid might have a bloody lip or a puncture in his hand. One bite from a pit bull and the kid could be dead.
It's all in the breeding. Once a line of dogs has inbred time & again - you get crazy dogs and owners that encourage crazy dog behavior. I, personally, would never own a 'pitbull' or any sort of Staffordshire Terrier - inbred or otherwise. Too much potential drama for you, your family & the dog. No thanks!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJesse Bering should write an article along the lines of "It Ain't Easy Writing for SciAm." (Candide, think of our use of language as poetic, dialectical, without a sin tax to worry about.) Bering might delve into people's perceptions of what is "real" science, "popular science", "fluffy science", "authentic science", and based on the AMAZING responses to articles dealing with sexuality, "psyco-sexual science". We already have political science, maybe he could incorporate some exit poll "data". I'm never sure how creationists will weigh in on these articles, pit bulls are or are not part of God's divine plan, as revealed through the divine inspiration that has caused his followers to "create" this breed. The use of Rottweilers and Mastiffs by the Spanish against the indigenous peoples of the Americas, as well as the use of German Shepherds by the Nazis and by the National Gaurd in the U. S. during the Civil Rights movement would only add to the charges that Bering deliberately seeks to incite... discussion? and exploration of our perceptions of various topics? I would sure enjoy knowing the various (scientific?) categories that Bering must use to categorize our sometimes bizarre (oops, not a science term, uh, random) responses, mine included... (hope mine make the outlier category.)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMake people buy special expensive insurance to have one. Make it illegal to allow them in the presence of children and they're OK by me.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFrosty46 - some people would say the same of ignorance and those uninformed people who spout ignorance to the general public.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a veterinarian I look forward to my "bully" patients. Unless trained otherwise, they are sweet and loving clowns. In fact they were specifically bred to be that way. Everyone is so hurried to point out that they were bred to fight - do you really think they were bred to bite their owners/handlers?
Dogs that showed any human aggression were put down, and definitely not bred. That was considered an undesirable trait because the owner/handler had to control the dog at all times. As a result, todays bully breeds are actually not naturally aggressive towards humans. That trait is beaten into few and far between by criminal owners.
They can be animal aggressive and when owning this dog you have to take precautions against that just like any other undesirable trait in other breeds.
Instead of breed bans, how about harsher penalties for the people that break the law and put these dogs and the genral public at risk? Punish the ones who have the cognition to be responsible and don't bother to make that choice to put the dog on a leash or get a higher fence. Let's place the blame where it belongs.
When I was a child we had to beware of german shepards(70's), then it was King dobermanns(late 70-early 80's), then it was rottweillers(late 80's-early 90's), then it was pitbulls. I laughed and discounted the pitbull histeria,especially being such small dogs in comparison to the other "dangerous breeds" throughout my life and having known many pitbulls my life(and on TV- ie. Little rascals' Pete was a pitbull).The original pitbulls were raised and bred in the family home, surrounded by the chaos of all sizes of children. They are also called the nanny dog in Britain for this reason. They were part of the lower-class way of life, where the family dog was taken to the fights once and awhile, for the pride of the working class. Early 20th century when the fights were banned there was an active breeding program set up by the kennel club to gentle the breed- over 50 generations of breeding. This re-breeding was done to the Mastiff as well.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMastiffs are a gentle giant for a reason, not the bull/bear/guard dog any more.
The pitbulls of current days ARE NOT the same as the original breeds used in the pit. Anyone who has known a Staffordshire bull will laugh at this 20-30 lb dog being as dangerous as a marauding 80-120 lb shepard, rott, or doberman. They are less than knee size! The Am staff has more weight, but rarely come to belly height of alot of these dogs. The problem is when dog fight enthusiasts crossed the little staffy's with Corso(bred for Jaguar hunting), bull mastiffs, bulldogs, hounds(raccoon killers in particular)- and the call them pit bulls. These new Pit bulls are 80 lb+. Some are as tall as a german shepard. AND all of them are bred in KENNELS, away from people, with the only contact with any other living creature in the fights. And still hardly any of them are good fight dogs. They have been selectively breeding the nastiest dogs with the nastiest dogs for 30 years, and yet only a few are good enough to fight. It is NOT NATURAL for a pack animal to attack every living thing, and form no bonds, which is why so many of the dogs rejected from this depravity still make good pets. The pitbull scare will go away when they find a new breed to exploit, or if they prosecute the people running the fight kennels with more than a slap on the wrist. When PEOPLE breed monsters out of something as noble as a dog, why do we blame the dog?
One would think that readers of a scientific publication would rely on factual information when formulating their comments. Unfortunately too many people rely on the liberal media for their thoughts and opinions. If you want statistics, you can go to the CDC site and find several reports on dog bites and deaths due to dog bites. Many of these reports do not list the Pit Bull breed as statistically significant breed. Additionally, the American Pit Bull Terrier is not an AKC recognized breed and a dog that is part pit bull and part other breeds is only recognized as a pit bull can be wrongly classified - A mutt is not a Pit Bull, but it is often categorized as a Pit Bull by the liberal media due to a partial lineage.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYes, i own a crazy strong blue male Pit bull that my neighbors like, that many toddlers in the neighborhood rush to pet when we are out walking and loves to meet other dogs that are reasonably well behaved. He is indifferent to the poorly behaved dogs that bark or take an aggressive stance towards him. I must be cautious to remove him from those situations since he would be adjudicated as the aggressor based solely on his breed, not his behavior.
So educate yourself. the breed doesn't need to be phased out and neither do I. Expensive insurance is purely a liberal response to a counter viewpoint.
One reason “It ain’t easy being a Pit Bull owner” is that Pit Bulls kill more humans than any other breed of dog. This according to an article published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The article “Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998” and is available at: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/dogbreeds.pdf
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe article lists that 76 of 134 deaths or 57% of dog related bite fatalities occurring between 1979 and 1998 involved Pit Bulls. [Data from table 2, death based approach, on page 838]
The article further states that despite potential bias error in calculating the dog population by breed: … [T]he data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF [dog bite related fatalities] in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities.
In conclusion, the unflattering stereotypes listed in the article, are the product of sane and rational thinking.
When my son first got a "pit bull type" dog I was, sadly, like Frosty. I have since had these dogs in my family and my grandchildren for decades and trust these dogs like no other. The Canadian Pet Trainers Association picked them as one of the TOP TEN dogs to have around children and I quote, "they can be virtually Bomb PROOF with children when raised in a loving family environment". There was nothing ANY of the kids in my famiy, or outside of my family, could do that MY dog that she wouldn't take from them. When my first one passed at the ripe old age of 15 the KIDS ON THE STREET called and asked for some of her ashes. THEY gave her a little ceremony at the park down the street. She changed SO many hearts and minds. My rescue is the same way. He just loves people, kids and if a dog is aggressive to him, he looks the other way and pretends it didn't happen.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat a refreshing article. It is SO heartening to see a reporter do his own research and base his opinion on what he learned and not on what he "heard". There are so many "myths and misconceptions" out there it is truly scary. I wish people would research Michael Vicks dogs and SEE how they are doing today. Would be a "REAL" eye opener for so many,
My sister has a pit bull. She also has a “Commemorative Medal of Canada”
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCRA Minister’s Award
Recognized Awards presented by
Variety Club of Ontario (The Children’s Charity)
The United Way of Ontario
Face to Face and was the Provincial Chairpeson for "National
ProvincialAccess Awareness Week.
I have been a professsional real estate broker for over 30 years and have many awards myself for my church and community work along with producing two top ten records on the Canadian charts. I know veterinarians that have these dogs, lawyers, nurses and I could go on and on.
What prejudice you display Jean. May I ask WHO you are and how many natioinal, provincial and community awards or citations you have?
NOW you know WHY this gentlemen wrote this article!
Can you spell bigot?
I'm so glad more and more people are beginning to take a more reasonable approach to issues like these. When it comes to pets, people need to start taking more responsibility across the board. It's the owners that are responsible for the care and training of their animals, and a pit raised by a knowledgeable owner can be a great companion. I'm sick of seeing whole breeds discriminated against because of the stupidity of the owners.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPit bulls are powerful animals, and at the humane society where I work, we will not adopt them to families with small children because the risk is too high. Like the article mentioned, they may not be the most aggressive of dogs, but if something does go wrong, there is a much higher likelihood of injury.
This is all part of responsible pet ownership, pick an animal that works with your current situation, not the one you think is cutest or toughest! Wait until your children are mature enough to handle the challenges that come with owning breeds like Pit Bulls or Chows. But don't punish the animals, and educate yourself before spreading stereotypes around.
The misconceptions regarding "bully breeds" have led to many municipalities passing terrible laws forbiding the ownership or sale of these dogs. This means that when one comes into the pound or shelter, the staff is legally forced to destroy the animal. These laws often list many breeds under the umbrella of "bully breeds", from pits to bulldogs to dobermans, and sometimes even mutts containing these breeds. This means we are destroying hundreds (thousands?) of dogs based on the irresponsibility of a handful of people.
I am really glad Mr. Bering wrote this article and I hope more people in the future will understand that the way to solve problems like dog attacks is through educating the people who own them, not destroying innocent dogs in the hope of eliminating breeds that seem aggressive. Spay and neuter all your pets, keep them up to date on vaccines, and learn as much as you can about the nature of your pet so that you and your pet will be happy for the entirety of its (hopefully long) life. [End humane society speech]
These comments are prejudice, plain and simple. You can't stereotype a breed of dogs personalities just like you can't stereotype a race of people's.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI own a pit, and she is wonderful. We also have two cats, who rule the house. Abby chased them once and was punished, and that was it. Furthermore, she is patient around babies, which is also another behavior she was taught. I told her to be calm around them and to give them space, and she does. She does get excited with other dogs, but always is submissive, even with other agressive/dominering dogs. She is amazingly charming, sweet, and obedient. That being said, if I was aggressive, so she would be. I set the tone for her human/animal interactions.
Yes, she does, as the Dog Whisperer would say, have the ability follow through on an aggressive act. That is why people who own them HAVE to be responsible for their and their dog's actions. Other dog breeds do not require the accountability that a pit does because there are no serious side effects of not doing so.
As to the reason i got a pit, she was adopted. Our friends participate in a foster agency for dogs about to be put down. She had been abandoned by a less responsible owner, and the agency nursed her back to health. I met her and fell in love. She is a sweetheart and the thought of her being put down is unbearable. What society would think did not even come into my realm of consciousness when i decided to adopt her.
What did? Her personality, her level of obedience, and whether or not she got along well with cats, dogs, and children. The only qualifications, as far as I am concerned, one should consider when adopting any breed of dog into a society.
Interestingly, I've just read an article in the Times of London - 20 'weapon dogs' belonging to teenage gangs seized in dawn raids. The last paragrapha says "Last year Scotland Yard officers took 719 dangerous dogs off the streets. Since the status dog unit was set up in March, there have been 273 seizures across London, with pitbull terriers making up 240 of them. "
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRef: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6676140.ece
On the "aggressive" breeds being dachshunds and chihuahuas, I wonder if that might to some extent be a matter of training? It seems believable that some of the people who seek out a "cute" dog might not place as much of an emphasis on training as other dog owners.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYes, I've given my child a loaded weapon, but you have to understand that I've *trained* him. He lives pleasantly with my two cats and he knows to be respectful around them. He almost never pulls the gun out of the holster around my neighbors kids, and when he does, he has never fired it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNot every 8 year old with a gun is a killer, you know? I don't abuse him, and he has a pleasant and obedient personality. I mean, as a parent, you HAVE to be responsible.
I wish this article was available a few months ago before they banned Pit Bulls in my community. People do not understand dogs in general and get over excited by one breed. Before it was Rottweilers, now its Pit Bulls, what will be next?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFrosty, have you ever owned a pitbull yourself? No, you have not. So you cannot speak for an entire breed of dog or their owners. No dog is born preconditioned to kill. Pitbulls are infact one of the smartest and most loyal breed. But yes, pitbulls can be more aggressive. Even America's favorite, the lab can be just as aggressive. (I happen to have a scar on my face from a lab. It's a dimple now - no worrys) Also it is ignorant people such as yourself that need to "fazed out." African-Americans make up the majority of people in our country's criminal system. Does that mean all African-Americans are criminals? No, it does not. Just because one pitbull was trained to kill does not mean they all are.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLicense these animals to the owners that want them and hold them legally responsible for their control; and I don't just mean when the dog attacks some one . There is a reason these animals are called combat breeds. They were bred for generations upon generations as killing animals. They ARE dangerous. Every positive story I hear about these animals goes something like " I have owned them for years and they have never even hinted at being aggressive to our family or children and the children 'abused' them the same way children always do" Yea, great. Rotties and Pits VERY seldom attack their own families unless they are being abused. It's my children who cannot walk down a particular road because of the over-protective pitt-bull that lives there and is often not properly restrained. License them or put down the breed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGood grief, folks! But then, you do have a right to your opinions.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDogs are dogs are dogs. Strong leadership skills are required. Exercise and discipline. Pits are great, beautiful and intelligent dogs.
blessedsusan, pitbulls are no more inbreed than any other purebred. They are in fact one of the healthiest breeds and have the lowest occurance of genetic diseases of all dog breeds because of their large gene pool. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of breeds or bloodlines of pitbulls. Some have been breed for fighting, some for "gameness", some for head size, some for height, etc. Only the trash of this world would ever inbreed their dogs, and sadly it does happen. That does not mean they are all inbred. I own a pitbull. Everyone loves him. Even people who were once scared of pitbulls. I'm sure you think very highly of yourself but you are infact an ignorant person as well as a biggot.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGood grief, folks. Pits are dogs. Dogs need exercise, discipline and leadership. Pit bulls are no more aggressive than any other dogs. They just have stronger, bigger mouths.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThey are beautiful, sweet, intelligent, active dogs.
I'd vote for doing away with all criminal humans and their lineage before I'd do away with a breed of dogs due to perceived aggression.
I adopted a 3 yr old pitbull from the humane society. I just wanted a short haired dog. She has been a trial and a lover. She is one of the sweetest, smartest dogs I've ever had. She also tries my patience with her dominant behavior. I had her professionally trained and she did wonderful. She is very head strong and I've got some great pointers from "The Dog Whisperer". I agree this article wasn't very scientific. I've also thought many times about taking her back to the humane society. I can't do that because I know they will put her down. I try to keep her under control at all times. I taught her to be nice to my cat. She has never hurt my cat, although she still enjoys chasing her. She also gets along great with my rottweiler.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI wish these dogs didn't have the reputation that they do. I do understand the liability of owning and loving a pitbull. I just don't have the heart to have her put down just because she "might" bite someone.
Thanks for this excellent editorial; I felt it was fair, balanced and open-minded and, for me being one of the "responsible Pit Bull owners", that is a huge breath of fresh air and a big dose of hope!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe subject of Pit Bull dogs can get touchy, even when it isn't about a Pit Bull dog. The label of "Pit Bull" is placed on any dog that remotely looks like anyone's idea of a Pit Bull (it doesn't help that Pit Bull owners intentionally lie about their dog's breed or that ignorance will often err on the side of a Pit Bull, even when the dog might be a Catahoula). But as for the Pit Bull dog, an "old school" Pit Bull breeder told me privately that one of his favorite dogs, imprinted upon birth and with him constantly, raised well, cared for appropriately, of excellent genetic stock of his own breeding, attacked him without any provocation one day during routine interaction. It was a very aggressive attack which left the older man, physically scarred for life. One cannot know until after the fact, he told me, which dog carries the aggression time bomb, which one will attack a human, a child, when? The primary issue isn't one of indiscriminate breeding (though there is huge secondary issue). Historically, Pit Bull dogs were bred to have NO human aggression, unlike the German Shepherd and the Rottweiler to name just two. Indiscriminate breeding and popularity are problematic for all animals in the world, unfortunately for the very special Pit Bull dogs and their owners, their remote genetic history has rendered a few with a dangerous unknown that is misdiagnosed as socially or legally preventable. Two separate issues, one amazing breed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe simple fact is that:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisANY owner of ANY breed of dog should:
1) Know where their dog is
2) Be in a position to control it (leash, command (requires more training than a leash), fence, door etc, regardless of it's lineage or historical useage.
Anything less is irresponsible.
If you can't do that you should not own a dog (any dog).
By the way the safest way to seperate 2 fighting dogs is to have 2 people - each person grabs one dogs hind legs, lift and seperate.
I learned this after my Sheppard was 'surprise' attacked by a Pit Bull whose owner was nowhere in sight. Offleash in an unfenced yard.
Never ever get between 2 fighting dogs.
Personally I would rather have a pitbull in my house than people. As for someone like Jean at 9:18p.m. this comment is for you-- if you ever had or were around a person who is responsible and their dog was trained correctly you would not say that. NO dog should be left alone with a child that they can over power. Also children should taught respect for dogs--just as dogs have to respect the child. These are the most misunderstood dogs in history. And yes it is very hard to be a pitbull owner but I am very proud to have a pitbull in my life. People are the ones that are so small minded and have no heart are the ones that needs to done away with. Hey asshole -- when you take dog and spell it backwards you have GOD>>>>>> jackass.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisfrosty46 is a child molester
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishe can be triggered by the smell of urine even in familiar situations
creatures like him (looks similar to human beings but has an IQ lower than 70) should be done away with------- plain and simple truth !
see how any moron can just say meaningless nonsense?
why dont u get a job or do something useful instead of sitting at home coming up with stupidity that makes u seem like a 6 yrs old with alot of imagination
do u suffer from delusion ? do u hear voices and see things ?
u should talk to your psychaitrist about the benefits and side effects of 2nd generation antipsychotics
or ill be happy to provide you with medical advice for free if money is a problem
i hope u get better soon
by the way in case any kids read this morons comments
kids dont worry
no dog will attack you because u cut urself while playing or something lol
DOGS DO NOT ATTACK BECAUSE THE SMELL BLOOD
the idiot is confusing dogs with some fish i think ( ex pirhannas, sharks...)
I own a lovely little American Pit Bull Terrier who has her CGC, Temperament Test and Therapy Dog certifications. She lives quite peacefully with my cat as well. When it comes to people, the only danger is her slobbering them to death. She doesn't like dogs, and I accept that and don't let her interact with dogs. Not a big deal. It's the idiot owners who ruin it for those of us who are responsible. And just for the record, I'm in law enforcement, so not all of us "pit bull" owners are thugs. ;-)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI own a lovely little American Pit Bull Terrier who is spayed and has her Canine Good Citizen, Therapy Dog and Temperament Test certifications. I've spend thousands of dollars making sure she is a breed ambassador. She is on leash at all times. When it comes to people, I fear her tail may fall off because she wags it so hard. She doesn't like dogs so she doesn't interact with them. Easy as that. As usual, the bad owners ruin it for those of us who are responsible.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnd just for the record, I'm in law enforcement - not all of us "pit bull" owners are thugs. ;-)
1st of all let me say im really sorry about ur dog being attacked
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIT IS UNACCEPTABLE
i hope hes ok
and honestly i hope that the dog that started it is ok as well
i hope is owners go to jail
and the dog gets put in a nice home. gets trained
i m a proud owner of a texas rednose american pitbull
i agree with the restrictions u mentioned
i would like more restrictions though
i think u have to be over 18 to have any large sized dog in ur care for any period of time even 1 minute
all dogs should be registered ( mandatory )
u cannot register any large size dog( >15 lb) untill u go to the city and pass a temprement and obedience test
if the dog fails then you have to pay the city to train ur dog
NO DOG SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE WITH CHILDREN
and u ignorant idiots for gods sakes NO CHILD SHOULD BE LEFT UNSUPERVISED WITH OR WITHOUT A DOG
I'm not a dog person, but about 3 years ago someone left a baby pit bull on our door step in the middle of winter. It was cold and obviously underfed. Even though I didn't much like dogs, I hate to see any animal suffer, so I decided to take her in and feed her until she was better, and take her to the humane society. After a couple weeks she was better, but then she got sick with parvo. I had never heard of that before, but from what the vet says, not many dogs survive that. Again, feeling sorry for her I paid for medication to make her better and she pulled through. By then it had been 4 weeks and it had became clear to me that despite a pit bulls reputation, this dog was very well mannered and wouldn't hurt anyone. So I decided to keep her, and named her "Snickers" (my favorite candy bar obviously) - and NEVER played rough with her, and would not let any of my friends play rough with her. To this day she has only barked in an angry manner once, and that was to a opossum that had gotten on our porch. Other than that, the worse thing anyone has to fear from Snickers is getting a wet cheek from her need to lick every new person she meets! lol
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have several cats, and my pit bull "Snickers" that I just wrote about here. Snickers is so good with my cats that the mother cat even lets snickers help clean new born kittens. I've never had a problem with Snickers biting. When I first got her as a puppy, she would want to bite when playing, but I kept telling her no - no matter how minor and obviously playful the biting was. Now she never bites at anyone or anything. Now I will say, that if someone were to be aggressive with her, that it may be very possible for her to bite - that's just a natural reaction for a dog of any kind - cats too, I've been bitten plenty of times by my cats when they are kittens and playing. I use to have the same bias about pit bulls being too aggressive, and initially that's why I didn't want to keep Snickers, but now that I've had her 3 years, I'm 100% convinced that the dog's temperament is a direct result of how it is raised.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOh, and I guess I should also specify, as for her having been 'left' on our door step - that's more a metaphor than anything. She was on our front porch, whether someone left her there, or she ran away from whatever home she was from and wound up on my porch - I don't know.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBlow me.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHows that for a turn of a "common phrase?"
(not that stiff, eh?)
it sure does
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thispitbulls are great with children. but no dog should ever be left alone with a child EVER. if any breed should be banned from being in the presence of children it should be dachshunds and dalmatians. do your research. oh that's right, a dachshund attack isn't "media material."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm always saddened to read an article in a "science" magazine that reads with so much bias. In your own words in the article, you quote a study about how pit bulls have been found to be no more or less aggressive. Yet, in most of the rest of your article you presume their tendency toward aggression. You pity pit bull owners that "ignore the innate aggression" bred into their dogs from stock breeds around the world, which basically is a reflection of your emotional attachment to the concept that pit bulls are inherently more dangerous than any other breed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYes, when they bite, they can tear you limb from limb in a couple of minutes. So can German shepherds, and pretty much any other large breed dog, including good ol' Marmaduke. Their big, so their strong. I doubt a Siberian husky going for my throat is going to make me safer than a pit bull. He's going for the kill at that point, and I'd better have a weapon or some serious fighting skills.
Perhaps a better choice for your article would have been to discuss the validity of studies that try to disprove pit bulls as an agressive breed. Or you could have examined the need the American public has to demonize a dog, rather than the people that taunt them or train them to be vicious (Vick, for one). Unfortunately, you took the easy route, and it really didn't make for an interesting piece. I yawned before I could get through the first page. Try some objective next time. It would be so refreshing.
To SciCri, ya more science would be nice...nice convo tho...and I was thinking his strategy here was to debunk some ingrained stereotypes emotion-based reporting has scared people into believing (maybe including his own?). So sad how people would trust NEWS (gasp) over their own experiences. Driving's scary. Eating's scary. Walking down the street is scary. Everything is scary. OMG GROW A BACKBONE, and let it go...seriously.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI love my pit and everyone out there that doesnt like that i have one can eat it. I will never give her away, or apologize for owning one. I am proud that she is apart of my family and always will be.
My brother brought a pit bull home that he had stolen out of a backyard. He had seen the poor dog chained to the fence with a short rope over several weeks . She was about 6 months old and totally ignored by the owner. He said everytime he approached the fence she would be very submissive and just wag her tell and lick him. So he took her one night and brought her home to my mom (who was in her 50's). My mom said "absolutely not". Within a week my mom would have given her life for that dog. Being a pitbull owner is hard - they are very strong and do not know their own strength and they can definetely be aggressive toward other animals. My mom had a small beagle/lab mix and a cat at the time. Both of them bossed the pitbull around. But she was aggressive toward animals not living in the house. My mom was a responsible owner and had a 6 foot high privacy fence around her backyard with a padlocked chain around the gate. The only way in or out of the yard was through the house. My mom kept a strong baby gate in front of her front door so that if someone outside inadvertantly opened the door her pitbull would not be able to bolt outside. My mom took all these precautions because she did not want to take the chance that her dog would hurt someone else's beloved pet. In return that dog was absolutely devoted to her. My mom always has had a dog - we have had dogs in the house since I was 2 years old (am now 46) - and I can say that pitbull (who never hurt a soul) was the most loving dog and best friend my mom ever had.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhen we buried my Pit Bull, Martin, it was probably the saddest day of my life. Mom was crying and I remember asking her why she was crying so hard. She said, "I'm still sad about your brother." I replied, "Why? We only knew him for 6 months, but we've known Martin since I was 4."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA decade later, I learned that mom had been cheating on dad, so Martin was probably just protecting us from a foreigner who didn't smell right. I can't believe they put Martin down for giving that bastard what he deserved.
I say gather them all up and make them into food for german shepards. Seriously, animals that can rip a person to peices should not be pets and should be made illegal.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe media likes to scare people it show they make their money but come on, come on any animal has the potential to turn on any owner or any other human. Thats not a problem with a Pug. But when the animal is a pit at any time for any reason it can snap and put people in harms way and do major damage. All the macho psychos who think they are bad ass because they own a pet who can kill a person need to hit the gym and watch UFC to get their inferiority complex in check.
Put the animals that can kill humans in the zoo or in the wild. If a Pit attacks someone the owner needs to be locked up and the dog put down. The dog doesnt have any incentive not to do whatever it wants to do at the moment, the owner however, should have incentive to consider if the dog is worth doing time.
Pit bulls are not triggered by the smell of blood Frosty46...that's just ridiculous. It's ignorance like yours that perpetuates the ridiculous myths of the breed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnd Dolmance, pit bulls can be taught Acquired Bite Inhibition just like any other breed and can be around cats and small dogs just like any other breed.
I am a Certified Dog Trainer, Pit Bull Specialist and the proud owner of a rescued five year old pit bull. I've had my pit bull less than a year and he is already a Certified Canine Good Citizen through the American Kennel Club and is on his way to becoming a Certified Therapy Dog. American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers are extremely resilient and I have seen so many come from bad situations and turn around to become amazing family dogs (look at Michael Vick's dogs).
People need to educate themselves and actually meet some breed-standard AmStaffs and APBTs and help crack down on dog fighting and backyard breeding so our once beloved all American dog can regain his status as such.
Here's a few places to start educating yourselves about the breed:
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/myths.cfm
http://www.pbrc.net/
http://www.bullseyerescue.org/
http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/index.php
http://www.blessthebullys.com/index.html
PEG I have a client that had to put her Pug down for attacking a woman so badly she nearly had to have her calf muscle surgically reattached. The dog had to be ripped of the woman to stop the attack.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisALL breeds are capable of major harm.
Pitbulls are intentionally misunderstood. Just like anything else the media gets their hands on, they blow up the problem.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBlame the people who hit their dog while screaming, "KILL!" People turn out bad in those situations too. Of course the people who are looking for a dog to train negatively will go for the one with a bad reputation.
We should call them bulldogs. Very few of what we call pit bulls have ever fought in a pit, most don't even come from that lineage, they were work dogs that helped bring bulls in.
You think your beloved shepherd couldn't rip someone apart just as easily? Just train it to.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor the truth on pitbulls, read all the info posted on
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.dogsbite.org. Over 70% of dog attack deaths
are by pitbull or rotweiller, with the pitbull by far the worst.
Many other internet sites will provide details on the horror
story of the pitbull. My firm belief is that owning a pit is all
about intimidation. They are no less a lethal weapon than a
loaded gun with the safety off and the owner(s) of an attacking dog should be charged with attempted homicide
when the victim survives and 1st degree murder when they dont.
LOL I love how Snickers' owner attempts to show herself as a responsible pet owner. While it is commendable that you chose to medicate the dog for the Parvo, rather than put it down, "finding it because someone left it on your porch" cries out loudly to the fact that you just didn't want to admit the responsibility you failed on when a dog you chose to keep, wasn't first of all worth a $15 vaccine. Aw, it licks the kittens, how sweet. GET YOUR FLIPPIN ANIMALS FIXED AND VACCINATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDogsBite.org is a fabrication from Colleen Lynne who is the leader of a group wanting to rid the world of "fighting dogs". Research her "facts" and get a little information about her...dogsbite.org is a joke.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm replying to all the ignorant people who does not take the time to learn about the american pitbull breed themselves, but instead believes in the hype of the killer dog. your comments(frosty46 and jean) is so judgemental and predjudice. you probably never felt the love of a pet due to your ignorance of not being able to learn for your selves. I didn't rescue my pitbull, my pitbull rescued me, there's not a day that goes by, that my pit doesn't make me laugh because of his silly personality and love that is returned to you has no bounds. you need to know that pitbulls are just like all other dogs. without proper training their no different from any other dogs. so don't hate the dog ,hate the irresponsible owners and ignoramouses like your selves.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thispeg your just plain dumb. no i think your the dumberrest person in the world. but with a little bit of training and love you to can be rescued from a life of ignorance. go out and learn for your self. remember listening to stupid people also makes you stupid. stupid!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisgeezer you are the smoking gun. seems like everything about is hate. remember hate also leads to stupidity and ignorance. you, frosty46, jean, and peg. should attend some ignorance preventive classes. your all hating something you really no nothing about.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEddy, do you fit the pattern of the pit bull owner who keeps one to intimidate neighbors or are you simply ignorant? In either case, you are totally responsible for whatever your pit does. I hope that you are well insured. Do not lash out at those who point out the statistically obvious. Instead, get educated. Type pit bull attacks into GOOGLE and start reading the facts that you conveniently ignore and maybe trade in your pit for any of the several hundred breeds of dogs that do not kill and maim people.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI owned a Chihuahua, and can attest to their viciousness....but they are not a danger. My sister also acquired an abused pitbull that was wonderfully affectionate. But if that dog had attacked, it could have inflicted massive damage. There is no denying they were bred as biological weapons. They are massively powerful and almost impervious to pain. There are several accounts of police emptying their service revolvers into pitbulls that still keep on coming.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe main thrust of the article seems to be that some people bond with pitbulls. That's not news. It certainly shouldn't be the basis on which we judge the danger posed by any breed.
Breed specific legislation is just plain silly. Its based in fear and misunderstanding. I've known Pitbulls and known their owners. The responsible, loving owners (some prefer be called "parents") have calm, peaceful, well-adjusted dogs. The owners that yell, hit or punish unduly have jumpy, agitated and often unpredictable animals. The same is true of other species.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAny animal or person has an innate ability to do violence. It's conditioning that creates a "good egg" or a "bad egg". That said, there are some animals, just like people that are just not wired right. They tend to be more violent then most, but that has to do with the individual, not the species. If we judged the human race by individuals like Jeffery Dahmer then we should "faze" ourselves out, en masse.
Training makes an individual dog aggressive or passive. Selective breading shapes the specie. There has been an experiment in Russia over the past 50 years to domesticate wild foxes. In a few generations, the fox became more docile and dog-like: playful, attentive to humans and friendly. And this was from a completely wild specie over 4-5 generations
If you want less aggressive dogs (any breed) license the dogs to the owners, certify the dogs temperaments and make part of owning the dog either getting it fixed or participating in a selective breeding program.
Finally, to those that argue that the amount of harm a Pitbull can cause is reason enough to ban them (regardless of actual likelihood of doing that harm) I offer this:
If level of harm was more important than likelihood of doing harm, we would all ride bicycles and carry pistols, After all an SUV has the ability to do a lot more harm than a gun, yet everyone wants to get guns off the streets, not cars. Likewise, nuclear weapons are not considered a threat for the US or Britain to have because they are stable and not likely to use them. Hand a crazy little rogue state a nuke and suddenly its a problem& Why? Because the potential to commit violence outweighs the level of potential violence.
(Yes, that was an intentionally obtuse comparison, but so is the argument to ban entire breeds based on individual actions).
This argument is like the religion and sexuality arguments that have been clogging up the discussions lately. People simply have their own beliefs and experiences and are not going to be convinced that the opposite is true. Religion saves some and kills some. Sexuality is "normal" to straights and gays. Pits are loving to some and terrifying to others. I much more look forward to scientific discussion than opinion discussion. Opinions are like assholes...everyone's got one. Jesse likes stirring the pot to elicit opinions. It's entertaining but not informative because the nature of the article is about opinion, not science.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI was so dead set against APBTs. I was even bitten by one, accidentally. But then I met my Mina - my Junkyard Princess. I had no intention of getting a dog, but she had me at "Hrooof!" Two and half years later and I am still smitten. My little keg on legs is loving, sweet, cute and very very snuggable. I grew up with dogs and I've been around dogs my whole life. Mina is by far the best dog I have ever had. Is she a clown? No, she is a snooty dog and generally snubs other dogs and persons she thinks are creepy. She has selected a few dog friends and they must be non-agrressive or she will set her boundaries immediately. She prefers well-balanced easy-going dogs. Same thing with people. If you seem a little dangerous or touched in the head, she'll take off in the other direction. She doesn't bite, but she growls and snarls. I don't think that she is more aggressive than other dogs -- she is just very clear about her dislikes of another dog's behavior. For example, to her, her backside is not meant for mounting. They can look at her lovely lady lumps, but no touchy the humpy. As for stereotypes, when I tell people that I have an American Pit Bull Terrier, they kind of change their attitude towards me. I used to be a Pit Bull apologist, but now I don't care. I get to go home every day to my Mina. I look at her and smile. She is my spoiled-rotten-keg-on-legs-delicate-flower-lick-my-skin-raw sunshine. That's right! She is sunshine.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLike many other people here, I own a rescued pibble (named Perion). She came into my life because my domestic partner, a veterinarian, adopted her when her (penniless loser) owner brought her into his hospital filthy, skinny, full of parasites, and pregnant. Perion would not have survived giving birth (and how would we find responsible owners for eight pibble puppies?), so her pregnancy was terminated and she was spayed. She has been positively lovely. She has also, on more than one occasion, attacked our beagle and tenaciously refused to let go.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOur beagle has attacked our cats because he's an old dog and they annoy him or stick their noses in his food bowl. We now feed him in a crate. Our pibble loves the cats, and they seem to like her as well (judging by how often they curl up with her and go to her for tongue baths). Our shepherd once got worked up and attacked me while I was attempting to break up a fight (a.k.a. the pit with the beagle locked in her jaws) and left a permanent scar on my leg. Our beagle ALWAYS instigates the fight with Perion, never the other way around. They frequently curl up together, and the beagle also goes to her for tongue baths. Should we put down the pibble, who attacks dogs? The beagle who attacks cats? The shepherd who attacked a human? All of the above? Or should we blame ourselves for not being careful enough, and constantly strive to provide a safe home for all our rescued animals?
My domestic partner has seen plenty of vicious dogs during his time as a veterinarian, and I, as a former veterinary technician, have been bitten plenty of times (by cats, birds, ferrets, and rodents as well as dogs). We both love the pibble breed, and neither of us discriminates wholesale against shepherds, minpins, little white yippy dogs, or any other breed that have frequently attacked us.
We do understand that the term "domesticated" is a very misleading term for our furry friends. We treat pets with the same respect and caution as any wild critter. Most bad animal behavior we've seen has been the fault of a careless, ignorant, or irresponsible human - and sometimes we fall into that category as well.
I would leave this country before I would give up my pibble. Still, I find myself being very cautious around other pibbles (although every one I've met has been very sweet). Seeing pit breeders or owners who brag about how big and tough their dogs are makes me sad. Those idiots are the problem, regardless of the breed they choose to exploit.
I recommend that anyone who wants to delve into the "problem" with pit bulls watch a few dozen episodes of "The Dog Whisperer" with Cesar Millan on theAnimal Planet channel. Cesar says he rehabilitates dogs and trains people.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have walked rottweilers for years and whenever approaching another dog that I don't know, on a leash, I tell the owner, "He's friendly." The only dogs that have been habitually aggressive toward my current rottweiler have been a miniature dachshund and a couple of powderpuff toy dogs.
As to anecdotal evidence, my male rottie and a neighbor's female pit bull have play dates and get along wonderfully.
What next? Defending the rattlesnake or tarantula? Sure, you could make a case for them being a great pet. But there's a wisdom of crowds thing in action here. People will stop fearing Pit Bulls when Pit Bulls are consistently, in crowd-pleasing numbers (or the absence of deadly incidents) shown to be nothing to "relatively" fear. Like riding motorcycles without helmets. Or being at the switch on railroad tracks while high on crack cocaine. Or sticking your head in a tamed lion in Las Vegas. Or befriending and inviting to religious services your friend the in-training suicide bomber. Until then, what reasonable, responsible mother or father or older sibling of a child would give the Pit Bull, not their loved one, the benefit of the doubt -- no matter how beautiful and sincere a story one, or a whole anti-defamation coalition, may tell of their particular philosophy or experience? The thing that shimmies in the grass may not be a snake, and if it is a snake, it may not be a dangerous one. But, as humans, we will be hard-pressed not to be hard-wired to be protective of life and limb and thus wary of that which threatens both.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA pit bull left his own yard, ran across the street, and ripped open my sister's leg from knee to ankle when she was only 4 years old. OUR BEAUTIFUL MOTHERING SCOTCH COLLIE SAVED HER LIFE FROM THE PITBULL AND ATTACKED IT TO HELP MY SISTER. THE ASSININE OWNER CAME OVER AND PICKED UP OUR COLLIE AND THREW HIM AGAINST THE SIDEWALK AND BROKE HIS SPINE AND HIS HIP. THE DR did a great job on my sis and the vet did a great job on our collie. THE ASSININE OWNER NEVER PAID!!!!!!!!! HE BELONGS IN PRISON AND HIS PIT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHOT TODEATH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPlain and simple fact. Pit Bulls are ANIMAL aggressive. If you are a responsible pit bull owner, this should not be news to you. As for NON pit bull owners, if you have such a strong feeling toward pit bulls and them being monsters, and you want them banned, maybe you should do some research before you open your mouth and voice your opinion. Its the samething on any matter. Politics, religion, etc. etc. People dont like something because they know nothing about the subject. Educate yourselfs people before you open your mouth.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPit Bulls were known once and 'America's dog' because of their loving and loyal traits towards humans. Not to say a pit bull breed has never attacked a human, but the ones that have are bad apples, just like any other dog breed. To think that a poodle or any other breed has never attacked a human is ignorant. Pit Bulls are animal aggressive, meaning they do have a tendancy to want to attack small animals, birds, cats, etc. Even other dogs, thats when the responsible owner comes in to teach, and know their dog better and to not put them in those situations.
The reason why pit bull attacks are highlighted in the media is because YES when pit bulls do attack, they attack witha strong force because they are a 'bull' breed. When the bull dog, mastiff, bull mastiff, rotty, german shepard, doberman, and yes the pit bull attack something, its going to be severe becaue they are large powerful dogs.
The one thing that just drives me crazy, and actually the dog whisper, Ceasar, say it all the time... smale dogs like the chi and the dachshund bite people all the time and actually have a tendancy to do so, but people dont think anything of it, and sometimes just laugh at it because they are cute and little. They dont discipline their dogs, they just let them do it. If larger dog owners acted the same way small dog owners act, ALL large dog owners and their dogs would be going through the same thing pit bull owners are going through right now.
Know and research the breed before you own them. Thats with any breed.
What happened to your sister is an outrage and if the owner did not serve serious prison time, it is also an outrage (both for his allowing that to happen to your sister and for how he attacked your Collie). The pit, may have been past saving too. Putting it down may have been necessary given it's level of aggression. I don't know.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat said, the owner's behavior supports my point. He was aggressive, abusive and irresponsible. The pit turning mean is not supprising (not excusable, but not suprising). He probably beat the dog until it was hyper-aggressive.
The instance is sad and I hope your sister and dog are doing well. The owner is the one that needs shot. Pits might be potentially more aggressive than many other breeds, but it's the environment that makes them killers more than the breed. If he had a Rottie or a Shepard or a Chow the dog would have been just as aggressive in that environment.
Not saying I know the situation, but from what you said about the owner, I would say the odds are it was an abusive envirnment that made the pit that way.
Ok I am a grandmother and have raised 6 grandchildren with pit bulls and I also have 9 cats.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHum are my dogs special because they don't kill the cats or grandkids? Actually no they are like 98 % of the pit bulls out there. The only difference between pit bulls and other dogs is media coverage, strength and the fact they out number other breeds of dogs. Bite stats are nonsense because if you have a town with 1 cocker, 3 retrievers, 10 shepards and 60 pit bulls of course the pit bull will appear to bite more often.
No organization takes the ratio of dog breeds in any given population into account. That is where the flaw is.
I have had well over 50 pit bulls live in my home as a rescue volunteer in the last couple years. Of those dogs only 1 was human agressive. I owned only 3 german sheppards, 1 attacked my daughter and she had to have 15 stitches in her head and the others bit any child outside our family he could get to. We were told at the hospital 98% of all dog bites they see are GS who attack family members. Of course that was in 1976. I owned Dobermans. I have owned retrievers. Of all the dogs I have owned I can say in all honesty that just like in the 1920 thru the 1940 a pit bull is the number 1 family pet.
They were not called the babysitter dogs for nothing.
I will never own any other breed.
"OUR BEAUTIFUL MOTHERING SCOTCH COLLIE SAVED HER LIFE FROM THE PITBULL" really Teresa
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am sorry but I had a retriever who ate collies for breakfast and he couldn't compare to any pit bull. There is no way your collie was anything more than a irritating fly to a pit bull.
I don't believe one word of this ridiculous story
I went to college and got an Associates of Science degree in Animal Health Technology magna cum laude and I passed the licensing exam in California with out studying. Now after 20 years as a highly sought after licensed veterinary technician I feel I can finally talk about the breed. So, rightly or wrongly I judge breeds by how they behave at the veterinarian. No doubt the most stressful time in a dog's life with needles and poking and probing in the most sensitive areas. Being the person hired to restrain all these dogs I got all the bites and scratches. The large dogs that bit me the most were rottweilers, chows, shar peis, Labrador retrievers never once a "pit bull". I WAS worried about pit bulls at the beginning of my career but I was won over after years of interaction with them. Some breeds were bred specifically to kill humans like some mastiffs; no doubt they could kill with one well placed bite. Mastiffs have not been done away with just bred to not be aggressive. This needs to happen with pit bulls the tendency to attack other animals needs to be bred out when this happens all human injuries will be as frequent as mastiff caused bites. Crack down on backyard breeders of all dogs and the problems will go away. When this happens lipstick will be more expensive because less animals will be put to sleep thus less animals to boil down and supply chemicals to make-up manufacturers. That will be a glorious day.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBTW the person who blamed the rescuer of the pit puppy for the pup's parvo because supposedly they did not get vaccines; puppies can get parvo despite vaccines, and many get parvo before vaccines are supposed to be given; its a matter of disinfection and careful handling, not vaccines [however I would NEVER say to NOT get vaccines- they do prevent disease and severe infections ].
Most people here are speaking out of their ignorant anus when they condemn a breed with out ever knowing it personally.
A good article that brought to mind a chapter of the book, Why Does My Dog Act That Way?, pub. in 2006, written by Stanley Coren (in my opinion, the best writer on the subject of dogs).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCoren addresses both the genetic & the behavioral aspects of the breed (nature vs nurture), as well as the political aspects. (This article touches on what Coren writes about in the last chapter of the 3rd page & a little on the 4th.)
Anyone interested in the subject would do well to read Coren's book.
WARNING www.dogsbite.com IS A HATE GROUP beware of the false information and lies that they post on that website
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisif u would like any statistics please get it from an unbiased source
according to any canadian animal control stats
labs bite the most
not pitbulls not rottweilers not dobbermans not german sheppards
its amazing to me that ppl dont get criminally charged for putting up a site full of lies
how r they able to do that
oh thats right
its because the site belongs to the attorney general of denver
geezer u moron
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishow are you this dumb??????
"maybe trade in your pit for any of the several hundred breeds of dogs that do not kill and maim people. "
like what sweetie?
what breed of dogs has never attacked people ? can you please let me know so i can go "trade in my pit" its amazing how people have the facts right on front of their eyes but choose to look the otherway
PEOPLE DO NOT GOOGLE DO NOT WATCH ON TV DO NOT HEAR SOMETHING FROM YOUR SOMEONE GET THE INFORMATION FROM THE RIGHT SOURCES
ANIMAL CONTROL STATISTICS
the problem is simple why cant people just see it so we can solve the problem and get rid dog attacks???
ive never heard of people banning a certain type of car because they owners crashed
i have heard of people goign to jail for improper driving thats caused the accident though
why is it that u have to be a certain age to handle a car which can be and is considered by law a deadly weapon?
why is it that u need a license to prove that u can handle that deadly weapon???
why is it mandatory to go to driving school to get a license in some provinces????
how do u ppl not see the logic???
what sane logical person would think that banning a certain breed will get rid of all dog bites???
many dogs of many many many breeds have killed or seriously harmed ppl and will continue to do so unless we put laws to prevent it from happenening?
or hey we can ban dobermans rottweillers ALL RETRIEVERS AND POINTERS all mastiffs all pitbulls am staff and staffordshires dalmations for sure hmm what else lets just say all dogs over 10 or 20 lbs
but then again small dogs can and do inflict significant damage leading to permenant injuries or maybe death if not treated (sometimes surgically)
so then lets ban or annihilate dogs altogether
but then that leaves us with another problem
horses
they can kill you you know...or paralyze you
so theyre out
but then theres another problem
what about planes?
u have any idea how bad a plane crash is ppl???
u usually dont survive!
u have any idea how many people planes have killed???
u know the worst plane crash in history? u know the one where the klm hit the pan am on the runway cause the klm pilot decided to take off with no visibility and no take off clearance from the tower
what a bad bad plane that was
isay we ban at least the type of plane it was i believe it was a 747
but then that leaves us with another problem......
I have had 'pit bulls' for 23 years, three at one time on occasion. Great guard dogs, for house and herd. Not now-- but that's because my last one turned out to be a highly bred 'catch dog', and he was just happier being owned by someone who uses him for that purpose, like a really highly bred hunting Lab is happier being a real hunting dog. I know someone with one; the solution is to keep the dog on tranqs, instead of letting the dog go and be what he was bred to be-- a field trial hunting dog.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlso, my goat that my pit kept 'catching and holding' is a lot happier, too. He did not leave a tooth mark on the goat, by the way. My 4 lb. Min Pin old girl dog totally ruled him-- she bit him on the nose, she used him as her personal dog bed, and he wasn't allowed to MOVE while she was sleeping on his back, either. He was NOT one of the one's bred to dog fight, though. Those DO have natural part of dog instinct removed from their makeup-- which is the part where they are supposed to recognize girl dogs, AND pay attention when the other dog 'gives up'. Old school dogs that were used for bull catching and pig catching, are not like that. I got my original dogs from a rancher who used them to herd cattle and literally catch the bull by the nose and 'flip' it. They lived quite peacefuly with all other animals, including the nasty little Jack Russlls, who DID bite people. dogs are like guns; it's okay --mostly-- for an idiot to weild a bb gun -- but not an ak-47. Accidents with bb guns are mostly minimal-- i mean, if a dachshund bites a child, eh-- big deal. If a badly raised pit or Carne Corso-- or a Doberman-- bites a person or another dog-- it's death. I now have a 7lb Min Pin. I guard HIM against all other dogs; any kind of accident can kill him. My friends Jack Russell was just playing with him and slammed him against the stove -- omg.... So Clancy only plays with selected companions, now. My other dogs, 110 lbs and 60 lbs, are very respectful of him-- they treat him a the 'puppy' of our pack. If they want to legislate dogs-- then they should make owners get trained and licensed to own ANY dog. I tire of idiots who don't even have enough behavior mod training to be able to housebreak their puppies effectively. BTW-- I have a g/f who more or less has trained her dog to bark savagely at strangers-- she doesn't just whack him and ignore him when he does the 'bad' behavior-- she actually pets him for it, while murmuring No, bad dog-- " -- well, actions speak louder than words-- does that sound like a correction to YOU?l
Drunk drivers kill, maim more people than pit bulls (or any other dog for that matter) every year, but I don't see anyone advocating for the ban of alcohol. My guess is that it's the people who have never interacted with a pit bull in a normal way that have these fears about them. Most people would not be able to even correctly identify a pit bull if they had to from a line up of dogs that ranged from bull dog to black-nosed curs (take a look at the latter, by the way, if you can; look a lot like like some pits I've seen). I say get to know a pit before you judge them.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTarantulas? Seriously? Take a hike. There is not one single species of known tarantula (out of 900) that have killed a person. Some people may be allergic, but to condemn a spider just because of your own fears about them is pure ignorance. You probably believe that the "Sand Spiders" so oft spoken about are giant arthropods hellbent on eating human flesh.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNewsflash: They lack venom are grow to a max of around four to six inches.
Tarantulas are no worse than wasps, with the exception of some old-world species which had to develop potent venom, however even then they are not going to kill you outright, and they won't hunt you down. To get bitten by one you have to actually INTERACT WITH ONE.
Tarantulas are much happier hiding in burrows and eating roaches and crickets in captivity, than hunting people down. Many are docile enough to handle safely if you're not retarded and know how to do so. Chilean Rosehair Tarantulas are a great example of a commonly owned and easily kept tarantula that is medically insignificant. If you're allergic to wasps, then no, don't get one.
They don't have a chance of stinging you like a bee or wasp though, and for a Rose to get that angry you have to be messing with it. Just as the original view of the snake was "Don't tread on me". They're low maintenance (eat once every week to two weeks depending on age and sex), they don't bark, and they're happy to be left alone.
The ignorance I have read in all the replies so far is so thick you could cut it with a katana if you had one - but I doubt you would get far because of the thick-headedness.
Huh, I am reading all this and the stories; and it still boils down to making the humans be responsible. Imagine driving in this country if NO training or drivers license were required. Just think. It's bad enough now-- how would it be without the minimal training now required? Okay. So that is what we have with animal ownership now-- any idiot can 'own' any animal. Any animal NOT trained and socialized correctly is dangerous. I have some truly amazing scars from feral KITTENS: not the adults, just two kittens; I forgot they were ferals, made a mistake, paid the price. Ref: Pit bulls. Anyone remember the Little Rascals' dog Petey? That was a real old school bull dog. When I was young the hue and cry was over Dobermans, cause those were the dogs the *&^ thought was the cool "bad" dog to own. I was at the dog beach few days ago-- Huge idiot human had a magnificent pit on one of those stupid little reel leashes and a regular collar. I scooped up my tiny dog and went into chest deep water with him, just in case. Pit was NOT socialized correctly -- and my companion's Lab was talking nasty to the pit in dog talk. So I removed my baby before any accidents happened. Both other dogs were incorrectly socialized. For that matter-- so was my 'baby' -- I have been remiss, and he was talking bad language in canine to the pit, too. In the old days when the dogs ran loose, the puppies got trained to have manners by the older dogs. Accidents still happened when there was a female in heat, but mostly not. Only time I had issues with MY pits was over a female in heat-- I had delayed gelding my male til he was 8 months old. That was very quickly remedied when I had him to the vet for the wounds. The neighbor with the female was doing his job correctly-- the female WAS penned safely-- but the smell traveled and stirred trouble. In my opinon -- ALL persons must be trained and licensed to own ANY animal-- and all animals not approved for a breeding license must be neutered. Problems solved, including the overpop massive problem.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGeez, I can't believe what people are saying here! I have a Pit Bull, albeit a mix with Greyhound, and he is the sweetest most loving dog I've ever encountered. He's great with other dogs. Great with children. Just an all around love pooch.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPeople need to be educated on the truth about Pit Bulls. They've been a recognized breed by the UKC for over 100 years and for 80 of those years you never even heard of a Pit Bull. Only until the 80's did they get notoriety, b/c a bunch of thug criminal evil people decided to use them for dog fighting (among other breeds). If you buy from a reputable breeder and adopt a dog with a good bloodline, you likely will not have a dog that has been bred to fight.
I love my Pit mix and am personally offended by the comment made by Frosty46 that I should be "fazed out". People who unjustly discriminate should be the ones fazed out. In all matters of life.
All these stories of my dog this and that do nothing. It's not the individual dogs -- it's the PEOPLE who fail to train and socialize, cause bad accidents. I watched a man break down at the beach years ago because the UN-socialized German Shepherd some twit girl was walking ON A Leach! pulled loose and killed his beloved dachshund right in front of him.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe German Shepherd was NOT socialized correctly!! The owner of the GS was at fault, and was an idiot for brining the untrained animal out and endangering others. Victim? The poor dachshund, and the family of same who LOVED that little dog-- this happened 40 years ago, and the image of that man's face as he tried not to break down in public has stayed with me for all that time. The folks in Germany REQUIRE that animal owners be trianed and licensed; that the dogs pass a sociliazation test OR they are euthanized and the owner's license to own animals is revoked. DUH?
So you want everyone to put any dogs larger than a pug down? If my Shetland Sheepdog were to "snap" and attack me, it's entirely possible he could do serious damage (he's larger than the average shelty by a good half). All big dogs have the ability to kill and not just pits are unpredictable. I have met many, many pit bulls, none of whom have ever been aggressive towards me, even though I was a stranger. They are just like any other dog, sweet, intelligent and goofy, as long as they're raised right. Pits weren't bred to be aggressive towards humans, not when their handlers had to be able to pick them up and work with them and not when they could be potentially surrounded by raucous paying audience members. The pits that attack are owned by irresponsible, stupid people who either ignore their dog's behavior or encourage it, but the same thing could be said for any dog owner. Any dog can be turned aggressive easily. The only thing that makes a pit more dangerous is that when they do bite, their jaws can lock, unlike other dogs. That's no reason to wish ill on a good breed. After all, I've never met a nice chihuahua or dalmation and I've even been chased by aggressive Rotties. I still love rots and I don't doubt that there are nice dalmations.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDiscipline, Training, Education and Consistency is what is required when owning any animal. If we publicized how many horses bit children a year people would be crying out that all horses should be killed. It seems to me that when watching the "Dog Whisperer" show, most people go into animal ownership without a clue on how to care for them, train or discipline. I feel the hype of one particular breed rest solely on the shoulders of the media. If they would choose to stop the circus act and instead broadcast responsible animal care; maybe the owners who are irresponsible would be educated enough on better ways to control their pet. As a Pitt Bull owner of 3 in a family of 5, I advocate responsible ownership!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI just loved your response. You make so much sense. There is no way to argue with what you are saying. Plain and simple you are 100% correct. I am happy to see that there are some people left out there that truly have a brain and know how to logically defend an argument. Thanks!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFirst of all, directed at littlemiss...I agreed with everything you said EXCEPT when you said that "their jaws can lock." This is completely untrue and any veterinarian can verify that there is no locking mechanism in a pit bull's jaws that makes them any different than other breeds. However, they do have a tendency to bite and hold and that technique has been passed down the generations from when they were used for the nasty sport of bull baiting.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have four American Pit Bull Terriers. None of them have ever shown aggression towards a person. Squirrels...well that's another story, and it's natural for any terrier to show some prey drive. None of my dogs have ever shown serious dog aggression either, though my big boy did get attacked and nearly killed by a Doberman once.
My dogs are obedience trained, and my oldest dog has her AKC Canine Good Citizen Award...she passed it with flying colors on her first attempt.
I have worked in vet clinics for numerous years, and I can remember only a few instances that a pit bull came in that was mean or labelled as a biter. On the other hand, many of the most vicious critters that came in were cats, but we're talking about dogs. I remember a lab who tried to take my face off while I talked to the owner; I remember numerous Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Spaniels and Border Collies who couldn't be around other dogs/men/children/what-have-you.
I have my dogs, who are labelled as vicious by those who don't know them, but I know who they are. They are the goofballs who leave my daughter's face shiney from kisses, and share ice cream with her; they are the forever puppies who chase the laser pointer for hours despite how tired and dizzy they get; they are the dogs who view every person as a potential buddy and never let anyone's prejudice get the better of them, which is more than I can say about most people I've met.
I find it amusing that Jean and others believe that pit bulls should not be allowed in the presence of children. Dear Jean, did you enjoy Our Gang or Little Rascals as a child? I'm sure you did. You were also most likely unaware that beloved Petey, the lovable, whimsical sidekick pup of the mischievous children was, indeed, a pit bull. Every version of every Little Rascals has been accompanied by a faithful pit bull companion - Spanky and Alfalfa still remain intact.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPerhaps you were unaware that Helen Keller's companion dog was also a pit bull. Or that President Teddy Roosevelt's canine best friend was a pit bull. Or that the first decorated war dog, accredited with saving members of its company, was a pit bull.
I also hope that you are capable of detecting explosives with your nasal passages - because there are several pit bulls who work for police departments doing this very job. In conjunction with your superior olfactory skills, I hope you are also quite adept at locating hidden narcotics, as this is the job of several police pit bulls. Perhaps you were unaware that they were used in this capacity in law enforcement. Of course, that's because generally, they are deemed "too friendly" for street work.
Seeing that you all are obviously so proficient in drug and narcotic detection, you must also excel at search and rescue. Perhaps the next time there is an elderly dementia-afflicted patient who has gone missing, or a small child who has vanished, or a pregnant woman who has disappeared, or a space shuttle that crashes, we will be able to contact you to push valiantly onward through harsh climates and conditions, forgoing any and all limits and comforts, forcing yourself to stave off exhaustion, physical and emotional distress, and situating yourself in the middle of certain danger in the hopes of finding those in dire straits - because this is what multiple search and rescue pit bulls do at the drop of a hat, any time they are needed.
Granted, there are unscrupulous individuals who tarnish the breed, and all of us mourn for their victimized dogs, but every time you insult a pit bull you don't know, or their owner, you insult a long legacy of strong, valiant dogs who've proven themselves and their devotion time and again over hundreds of years.
Every time you call for the genocide of the pit bull breed, you call for the extinction of vital parts of various law enforcement organizations both local and national. A danger? Their selfless devotion keeps you & your children safe, every day.
Hug a pit bull; you're welcom
Frosty, I have been a PITBULL owner for the past 13 years. I have had other dogs such as a ccker spainel,it bit everyone that it came in contact with. So should all cocker spainels be done away with? Ive had one pitbull bite someone and the LOyAL DOG he was saved my life from a crazy ex husband who was beating the crap out of me! Thank you Max you are one of the greats!! So please tell me why you can hold all owners responsible for the few acts of foolish owners. It takes a strong person to be a owner of a pitbull! And if you must know the pastor of my old church is a pitbull owner. I have 2 angels that that are pitbulls that live with cats,all ages of children,small dogs. My 5 pound dog has more control of the house than my 2 pitbulls! I think you need to look more into your own life and realize that you just are not a strong enough person to be a owner or to post comments on a site that you know nothing about.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFrosty, I am a proud owner of 2 wonderful pitbulls! I have been an owner of atleast one pitbull for the last 13 years. I had a cocker spainel that bit everyone that it came in contact with. Does that mean that all cocker spainels need to be done away with? I have only had 1 pitbll bite someone and if that wouldnt have happened I wouldnt be writting this today. Thank you Max you are one of the greats!! I have my 2 precious angels that live with cats,children of all ages and 2 small dogs! My 5lb dog has more control over the house than my 2 pitbulls. The pastor of my old church is also a owner of the breed,I dont think Gods gonna take out all of the pitbull owners. I know that it takes a very strong person in alot of ways to be a owner of the breed. I personally do not feel that you are a strong enough person to be a owner or have th right to talk on a site that you have not a clue about!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"From an outsiders perspective, my own dogs, two border terriers, must seem pretty obnoxiousbarking, jumping and scratching."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSo you enjoy having this activity in your home? Around your friends, neighbors and guests?
No, this doesn't seem obnoxious, it IS obnoxious. It also speaks volumes about your personality and general lifestyle if this is the type of home environment you support and maintain.
Perhaps this post is a bit out of scope for this general discussion, but it speaks volumes about the type of behavior many dog owners find completely acceptable and I find completely rediculous.
@ajschicago: I'm sure Bering here cares about your opinion. And you know what says volumes about *your* personality? Your inability to spell a simple word like "ridiculous." I guess you were too busy being judgemental about others to read books or pay attention to your grammar lessons in fourth grade.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI do wonder how much of a dog's behaviour comes from how strangers respond to it. I've seen many dogs tied up outside shops, and people make snap judgements about them based solely on breed. A rottweiler in a shop doorway will see people make an effort to walk around it. A labrador in a shop doorway will see people smiling at it and petting it as they pass. Surely that has to go to a dog's head - "People are scared of me. I must be scary."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf were going to outlaw pitbulls, we need to outlaw the entire herd of trailer trash who make up the majority of folks buying these dogs specifically for the battling pit. Then we need to outlaw the dogs that take the pit bulls place after the pit bull is made illegal. Then we need to outlaw the next dog after the dog that took the pits place for being world's meanest dog. It's a pattern folks, see where I'm going. Improper owners make improper pets. If you're 70 years old and alone, you don't buy a great dane. If you've got babies, you don't buy 2 hyper boxers. Some people just want the excitement of having a powerful and energized dog that needs constant attention, but is always getting scrutinized for being well..a dog. This is why some dogs react with aggression. You don't put a dolphin in a 6X8 Ft. Aquarium in your living room. Dogs need the right environment, and the right people, to be good dogs.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf were going to outlaw pitbulls, we need to outlaw the entire herd of trailer trash who make up the majority of folks buying these dogs specifically for the battling pit. Then we need to outlaw the dogs that take the pit bulls place after the pit bull is made illegal. Then we need to outlaw the next dog after the dog that took the pits place for being world's meanest dog. It's a pattern folks, see where I'm going. Improper owners make improper pets. If you're 70 years old and alone, you don't buy a great dane. If you've got babies, you don't buy 2 hyper boxers. Some people just want the excitement of having a powerful and energized dog that needs constant attention, but is always getting scrutinized for being well..a dog. This is why some dogs react with aggression. You don't put a dolphin in a 6X8 Ft. Aquarium in your living room. Dogs need the right environment, and the right people, to be good dogs.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am speaking from 1st hand experience (and indeed I have been living FOR 15 YEARS with the horrible after effects), of being a Pit Bull VICTIM, and being bullied by Pit Bull owners (who know of my experience) ever since.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn fact, it was a "very nice" Pit mix, belonging to a "normal" middle aged woman, who lived in an excellent doorman building, and was a nurse by profession.
She had the (male) dog for years - since a pup - and he was around other dogs in the park all his life.
I see no reason to defend, or feel sorry for anyone who chooses a breed that brings so much death, pain, and heartache to others.
I never even knew what a Pit Bull was before it happened.
I don't read anything "scientific" in your article. ... only your feeble attempt to APPEAR unbiased.
I hear there are some real concerns you've pointed out in assessing this article by Bering. As not only an owner of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier since a pup (wife's dog) and now a Pit bull X Rhodesian Ridgeback, but also
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisone who's been interviewed by a daily newspaper due to an abundance of information that the general public is exposed to about the various Staffordshire B.T. / Pit bull terrier breeds on a weekly basis.
I do believe human nature's tendency is to manipulate what one has heard and portray that in generally their personal rhetorical style, ie Pit bull owners, as well as articles written about Pit Bull Terriers/owners.
In light of this (despite of this) I would urge you to consider
what an "expert" has said; Frosty46 on the breed, as
well as my own experience of 10 years this month of co-raising,
training, exercising (yes, disciplining) a stout Staffordshire Bull Terrier
purchased from a reputable breeder and finally put down this month,
a stellar example of why the SBT (Staffordshire Bull Terrier)
breed is also affectionately termed "the Nanny Dog" in Britian, interestingly
despite his often confused pedestrians who asked if he was a Pit Bull,
and we needed to be aware of news articles about "these dogs -ie Pit Bull terriers, which technically, our dog was not) our Shaka has never
bitten a single person.
Scientific ppffftt. You've taken every example of Tufts study of ownership excusing behavior, applied it to yourself and confirmed it. You must be a Pitbull owner.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDo you really think they horrendous reputation is undeserved? Look up Ayen Chol. When was the last time anybody was killed by a Dachshund or a Chihuahua?
Dolt. I hope your family doesn't have to suffer for your ignoance.
Dogs should never be left alone with children for the DOG's safety: Children can be sadistic little monsters!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlways the same old story: pitbulls and their owners. Not too many people are able or with the necessary will to train their dogs, any breed of. Sadly, as somebody said, there is some difference if you got bitten by a massive pitbull or by a chihuahua. A dog is not deploying a human behaviour and we need to teach them to live by our side in the middle of our overcrowded cities. It is like a knife, it depends mainly on you what you are going to do with its blade, peeling an apple or killing the neighbour.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIm a very intelligent man and Im just here to make a point. Sorry if this offends. It's not my intention. But here it goes.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTo all idiots. If pit bulls were bred to fight than its safe to say all african americans were bred to rape, murder, and use welfare for life right.
Of course not. Grow up people.
BTW. I am african american. Just to let you know.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLearn to think for yourselves please.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWant to point fingers? Well point it right at us (people). The number 1 most dangerous animal that ever lived. We made them it's our responsibility to take care of them. Their not monsters we are. Tell me 1 pit bull that dropped a nuclear device. That knowlingly trashes its own enviroment and knows it. That sells its own children. Im very disappointed with humanity. TSK TSK. We beat them, hang them, drown them and then kill them if they bite us.Who do we think we are. Just look at the vick case. Most of those dogs except 1 was still frendly. Sounds like we should be taking lessons from them.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe as people need to die out if the remaining animals and habitat expect to last. WE are a flaw. Created in gods image? hmmm I dont think so because if so that means god is a murder and a bigot. Exactly who's image are we made in. Certinly not the god i learned about in sunday church. God the forgiving. God the healing and excepting. Well we are none of those. Most of us anyway.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSorry just ranting. The reason Im upset is my life was saved at age 12 by a pit bull from a golden retriver. YES A GOLDIE tried to kill me of all animals a darn goldie.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI didnt know the pit bull he was a stray. He had a home after that.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisExactly thank you. Very well said
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDolmance,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI can not help but comment that your comment is completely ignorant. I do not know where you get the idea that bully breed dogs "attracts owners who are aggressive and hostile people with the intelligence of a tse tse fly." This is a completely ignorant statement as many highly intelligent people own and advocate for pit bulls, such as Dr. Phil, Teddy Roosevelt, Rachael Ray, Hellen Keller, Jamie Foxx, John Stewart, and many more highly successful and intelligent people. To feed into this stereotype is ignorant in itself.
Secondly, to say, "One bite from a normal dog and a kid might have a bloody lip or a puncture in his hand. One bite from a pit bull and the kid could be dead," is also highly nonfactual. A 6-year study in Palm Beach County of "most severe dog bite by breed" shows the top 10 breeds who have been identified in this comparison.
1988-1993: APBT (American Pit Bull Terrier) ranked 9th with 9% of bites
(with the cocker spaniel showing in 1st)
Some of the breeds, which placed above the PitBull's were Dalmations, Chows, Labs, Golden Retrievers, Rotties, Dobermans, and the Cocker Spaniel in having bit a person.
And here is some data about the bite force of the top 5 strongest k-9s, pitbulls ranking in 5th.
#1- Doberman at 600 lbs of pressure
#2- Mastiff at 552 lbs of pressure
#3- Rottweiler at 328 lbs of pressure
#4- German shepherd at 238 lbs of pressure
#5- Pit bulls at 235 lbs of pressure
And lastly,
"According to the Humane Society of the United States, the Centers for Disease Control, and the American Veterinary Medical Association, no one dog breed is more likely to bite than others." Like eomuahaha said well, the most popular dog of the time correlates directly with the highest number of fatal dog bites. Like the Dobermanns in the late 70s, Pit bulls are just the flavor of the week.
Sincerely,
A woman who has done her research