Pitbulls? Love 'em, hate 'em. Discuss.

[KatherineI]

I am not prepared to get into an argument with you over this Katherine!!
These particular cases have in fact been proved over here! This is my own personal opinion regarding this particular breed of Dog!! We are all entitled to our opinion!! I am respecting your strong opinion on this matter, so therfore you should also respect mine!

I am bailing out of this particular thread !

I'm just saying that unless you're involved in the case itself, you are only making assumptions. And making up statistics. 100% that all were unprovoked attacks? Yeah... okay.

I do respect that you don't have to like the breed and are entitled to be prejudiced towards them. Have at it. I don't like "designer breed" dogs either, but people are going to own them anyway.

 

[ann]

I think Pit's are great! They can be absolute sweethearts. Yes, some have had the "vicious" bred in to them a little too much and really aren't a good fit for a home. Some have had bad experiences and again, aren't a good fit for most homes. But the large majority are fantastic dogs. My husband has said that we won't be getting any 4-legged animals that don't live in aquariums/habitats, but when I said "what about a Pit?" He immediately changed his tune

I think the excuse "they were made to take down and hold on to bulls" is a cop-out. Many other dogs were bred for very similar reasons; German Shepards, Mastiffs, Dobermans and Rottweilers are just a few of the breeds that were developed for means that aren't necessarily "home friendly". Yet, no one seems to have it out for those breeds (currently) and want to ban them.

Any dog can be a vicious dog, any dog can attack you given the right circumstances, background and temperment. I was scarred for life in my face by a Yorkshire Terrier when I was 7. I did NOTHING to the dog, either, to warrant the attack. I had been taken by my older sister (a teenager) to one of her friends houses. The Mom had flat out said "Don't touch the dog, he doesn't like kids", to which I obediently listened (never mind the fact that I couldn't get near it any way because it was growling at me and I refused to go near a growling dog even then). While sitting on their couch reading a book, the dog jumped up next to me. I called to my Sister, her friend and her friends mom, not daring to move a single inch because I was so scared. Before any of them could remove the dog, he bit across my face, at an angle, from my left eye down to my right lower chin. He narrowly missed my eye, but I had a teeth mark so deep on my nose that it is clearly visible to this day. I've never been bit by any pitbul I have ever encountered, and I have encountered several. I have met nasty Chow's, Chow mixes, Shepard's (My aunt's GSD used to be really friendly and then suddenly, she was the meanest, nastiest dog on the planet. Literally, they had to set her up outside in a kennel because no one could get near her. And that's the same dog that wouldn't let anyone near me if she thought that I was going to get a spanking, a hand smack or any kind of punishment). So I don't buy anyone's BS about it being breed specific. It's not.

We have discussed and will continue to do so, adding a Pitbull to our family. I would like to get one from a very reputable rescue that does extensive behavioral testing, home inspections, and the like. Most likely a place like Villalobos.

i think a lot of tiny dogs are scarier than big dogs. i love shepards though, its sad that your aunts dog turned, im sure he was very loved though . but i LOVE Villalobos!!! Tia is amazing and i would love to adopt from them if i lived closer!
also people said that these dogs attacked "for no reason" no animal does anything for no reason. bird people know that parrots don't bite for no reason, neither does any animal.
pits are wonderful dogs, its how you raise and train them. they have a strong will to please and will do what pleases their owner, if that's attacking people and dogs, that's what they will do. if its caring and loving the family, that's what they will do.

 

[Ginkai]

I totally agree that every breed of dig can be dangerous, every single one should be trained and socialized. I myself have been bitten by a maltese, a chihuahua and a poodle, (all small breeds and all my fault coupled with bad training on the dogs owners side) but I don't automatically assume all maltese and poodle and Chihuahuas are going to bite me. Every dog is an individual with a different story. Just cause statisticly there are a few more bully bites doesn't mean they will all bite.

 

[luvmytooo]

Actually , a dog wants to please itself. The owner asks it to do something , the dog does it and gets rewarded , that's what the dog is doing it .

 

[luvmytooo]

so being all dogs can bite maybe we should ban all dogs over 20 pounds???
we had a husky in pittsburgh that killed a 3 day old baby. Ate its face off because the baby was laying on the floor. BAN THE HUSKYS!!!!!
Does anyone not remember in the 70s it was dobermans, 80s the gsd caused all the damage and the 90s was the rotty? where where the pits in the 70s? the 80s? they were around i assure you! just like rottys and dobermans are just as available today as they were years ago.

im done here, the ignorant will always be so and the ones trying to speak up for the breed are preaching to the choir.

Sadie , you are right about the pits not being labeled back then like the other breeds. That statement brought back a lot of memories.
I think each breed had its day in the papers or on the news for one reason or another.
I'm grateful there are places that try to help rehabilitate certain breeds.
But , in a shelter atmosphere , the dogs are under major amounts of stress.
Eye contact and posturing , from dogs across or next to other dogs can simply drive a dog mad. I hate to say it , and I could be wrong , there are some great dogs that came out of shelters , don't get me wrong , but, the dogs that need major help most of the times those dogs just can't be trusted with a novice person. And unfortunately , a lot of people are , and they go to adopt these "problem dogs" and are given the dog because the shelters are so over crowded and there are dogs waiting to come in . So , these dogs go home with a person who is by no means prepared to deal with this dogs behavioral problems say with other dogs or men or kids , whatever. Thats when accidents happen.

I saved a Bull Mastif puppy , around 4 months of age years ago.
It was tied to a paddock over night , in freezing 0 below weather at a riding stable I was managed. My horse vet came and we started caring for the pup.
She told me he may not make it , we both thought we lost him twice.
But , after a morning in the ER , I was told he was going to make it.
My brothers wife was expecting a baby and my Mom told me under no circumstances were we going to keep a pit bull in the house because she didn't want to take a chance which the baby.
I understood , but I really didn't see Pit in him , I mean , he had a TON of neck skin to grow into !
Anyway , we found what we thought would be a great home upstate NY with lots of property. Long story short , I get a call for the ASPCA in Brooklyn and they want me to come sign a waiver so they can put the dog down !
I told them I was coming down to collect him and by no means were they to do anything but feed and water this dog !!!M
Got there in no time flat , parked on the sidewalk close to the door because there was a crowd forming around my car (trans am ) and I'm sure they would have stripped it down in five seconds as soon as weren't inside. And I loved my car !!! Anyways , they wouldn't give me the dog because they said it was a Pit and it was going to be put down regardless.
Well , my friend and I were young and crazy kids , so she caused a disturbance out front , I sneaked through the kennel to where they said Sarg was and I grabbed him , grabbed my friend who was now threatening to clear off the guards desk with his face ( small dude ) and we ran out of there wig Sarg happy as can be to see me , lol. There was a crowd around my car , but it was like the Red Sea parted when they saw us two running out with Sarg ! lololol.
We got into the car an hit the Belt Parkway like a bat out of hell !
I will never forget the horrible sound coming out of the back seat !
It was Sarg ready to throw up his chunky dinner all over my back seat which was black , all black. Oh well , after the first initial shock was over , I was ok
I was ready to clean up anything, as long as we got Sarg out of there !!!!
I really thought we woud have been pulled over any minute , but we made it all the way back to Queens , me , my friend , and Sarg and his chunky mess , lol.
Ewwwww , that was some clean up ! The smell lasted for months !
But , I had Sarg for almost nine years , he was the best dog I ever had.
He was so good with the baby and everybody , he was a real love bug to his family. And once he knew you , you were part of his pack too
He was also like sleeping with a loaded shotgun next to your bed, lol.
My Mother ended up keeping him when I moved out. We fought over him , but since my Mom would be alone after I left ,I figured it would be a good idea for Sarg to stay , so he did. We still think about him , and always say that he was the best dog . Oh and he was full Bull Mastiff .

 

[ann]

lovemytoo, that was beautiful! i love mastiffs! i wish i could thank that post more than once but it wont let me lol!

 

[Violet]

I know I am a new member here, but as a dog trainer I feel as though I can contribute to this discussion. I have read several myths and misleading statements and would like to address two of them:

1) Pit bulls are bred to fight, and this makes them unsafe as pets.

Pit bulls were bred to bring down bulls. Many, many, MANY other dogs were bred to hunt, bring down, and kill game. Big game. This is not something that happened exclusively in the history of pit bulls. On this note, there are a number of dogs that are known for being untrustworthy around other animals (terriers, sighthounds, etc.), but this does not detract from their suitability as companions for humans.

2) Pit bulls will attack unprovoked and are unpredictable.

No functioning organism attacks another organism for no reason. It doesn't make any sense - why would they waste the energy and put themselves at risk? I am going to say this again... No normally functioning organism attacks for no reason. Compared to dogs (and many other animals), humans are incredibly dense when it comes to communication. Dogs can pick up the most subtle of signals from one another - blinking eyes, licking lips, certain stares, etc. The vast majority of dogs DO warn before they bite, and if they don't, it typically means one of two things. A) The dog has been taught (normally not intentionally) not to warn through poor training methods or B) the dog has a neurological issue similar to a person who suffers from a mental disorder. Believe it or not, dogs and humans can both suffer from mental retardation and disorder on a neurological level.

3) Since pit bulls can be dog-aggressive, that makes them more dangerous to people.

Dogs aren't stupid. They know we aren't dogs, and they certainly don't treat us like other dogs. Plenty of breeds are known for not being good with other dogs, and these same breeds can still make fabulous family pets. Dog aggression =/= human aggression.

I am not going to argue that pit bulls aren't powerful dogs. They are. That said though, there are plenty of other equally as powerful dogs. The people who are irresponsibly owning these dogs and encouraging bad behaviour aren't going to stop when pit bulls are banned. They will move on to rotties, mastiffs, huskies, hunting curs, whatever. BSL is simply a band-aid situation and ultimately does not do much to protect people from vicious dogs.

Effective legislation would not focus on breeds. Instead, it would target ANY dog exhibiting aggressive behaviour, and the consequences would be harsh. If your dog bites someone, expect to pay, and pay a LOT. Steep fines and harsh consequences are the most effective way to get the point across to these people that it's not worth it to have an aggressive dog.

In my own personal experience, the average pittie really isn't all that different from other dogs. They need an owner who is kind, consistent, and concise. Like other dogs, they thrive off of positive training methods (clicker training!) and enjoy working with their people. Consideration does need to be given to their propensity for dog aggression.... But at the end of the day, pit bulls are pretty average dogs. I would be very, very sad if there was a movement to 'phase them out'. I am competitive in dogs sports, and some of the best are pit bulls. Many are active in therapy work and make excellent family pets.

Oh and one last note, for the people saying that pit bulls are obviously dangerous because of all the stories in the media... All I am going to say is that it is very important to consider the motives behind posting some stories over others. Newspapers, news channels... They are BUSINESSES. Out to make MONEY. Of course they are going to post the most dramatic stories. What's better for views, a lab biting a kid or a pit bull 'mauling' a kid? Just think about it.

Oh and also... Most people can't even correctly identify a pitbull. Give it a try if you have a couple minutes:

Pet Pitbull - Find the Pit Bull

 

[caliopi]

Ok a couple of things. Firstly Sadie, I totally respect your opinion here, you have your experience of owning Pit bulls and having wonderful family pets. I on the other hand have witnessed a terrifying attack on a family pet that was totally innocent, the PB involved came from behind us and according to witness's it was some 30 yrds away so I cannot see how anything we did provoked that attack. I do however take offence at being called "ignorant" just because I don't like a breed of dog I have had not one but two bad experiences with. After the second incident I steered clear of any Pit Bulls so No, I don't see them as the loving dog you do but with good reason.

I understand as an owner and someone who dearly loves their pets that you are passionate and even more so that the breed you love gets such a bad press but all I ask is that same respect back and not being insulted because my experience was different to yours. I think that is fair don't you?

 

[Violet]

Ok a couple of things. Firstly Sadie, I totally respect your opinion here, you have your experience of owning Pit bulls and having wonderful family pets. I on the other hand have witnessed a terrifying attack on a family pet that was totally innocent, the PB involved came from behind us and according to witness's it was some 30 yrds away so I cannot see how anything we did provoked that attack. I do however take offence at being called "ignorant" just because I don't like a breed of dog I have had not one but two bad experiences with. After the second incident I steered clear of any Pit Bulls so No, I don't see them as the loving dog you do but with good reason.

I understand as an owner and someone who dearly loves their pets that you are passionate and even more so that the breed you love gets such a bad press but all I ask is that same respect back and not being insulted because my experience was different to yours. I think that is fair don't you?

I am sorry you had such a bad experience, and I can imagine how scary that would have been. My dog has been attacked several times and it is always terrifying. So far I have avoided being bitten trying to break up dog fights, but there have been a few times where I think I definitely got lucky.

It is unlikely that you provoked the attack, and in fact from your description it sounds like that certainly wasn't the case. Pit bull breeds are known for being poor dog park dogs - many simply do NOT get along with other dogs and won't hesitate to start a fight. It sounds as though the dog you had an altercation with was dog aggressive, and very poorly managed by his owner. Bringing his dog to the park and allowing it to be off-leash is like putting a dog in a room full of squirrels.... And people who cannot understand this aspect of ownership and are unprepared to take responsibility for the life they took in do a serious disservice to the breed.

I am very sorry you had such a bad experience, but I encourage you to consider the role people played in these situations. That dog did not belong off-leash, in a dog park, and ultimately that is not the dog's fault - the owner is fully at blame for that.

 

[caliopi]

Thank you Violet. I have to say in the owners defence that their dog was on leash according to the witness's. It was on a beach and not a dog park and the owner was a volunteer at a pound who adopted the dog after it had been rehabilitated after killing a neighbours cat when it was still a pup ( around 5 or so months old). No one knew what went wrong that day, she walked it on the beach twice a day for over 2 yrs without incident. The owner was also injured as the force of her dog pulling away sent her flying to the ground and she got grazed quite badly from the sand.

 

[Sadie]

i was not referring to you in general, i was refering to the people that believe the breed needs "phased out" because of what they hear in the media or have made up statistics making them feel better about themselves. everyone is entitled to an opinion, i would never own a small dog. i think they are vicious and have horrible personalities. that being said i would NEVER tell anyone how horrible they are and say they all need put down because they are a menece to society and unsafe to have around. i think people that have small dogs and children in the same house re crazy but again thats my opinion an i have been bitten by a Pomeranian, chi, a bison frise and my daughter got her lip bit open by a pom mix. when doing behavior work these little dogs never tested very well and were never allowed to go to households with young children.
some pit bulls were labeled no small children as well but why? they were hyper and excited and would easily knock one over or jump on them.


no one ever tried to phase out doberman or rottys and they were in the same light years ago. Maybe instead of banning the breed you can focus your attention on getting these dogs into the hands of caring responsible owners and out of the dog fighting pens? or raising awareness on how to properly socialize these dogs? Why do you have to be so hateful towards the animal itself? hate the people that go and make these animals monsters. Would you hate jack russels if one got off a leash and tore your new baby bunny to shreds? Luckily people that own jack russels can handle them on a leash. Pit bulls are no more vicious than any other terrier but due to their strengh and intelligence they can easily pull away from their owner during walks and they are excellent escape artists from yards. That leads back to people being irresponsible with them.

You need to focus your hatred on the irrisponsible people who get pit bills as a status symbol and not a campanion animal. I dont know why you would be against a living breathing thing when its obvious when they are raised in a family enviorment they are not aggressive.
The pit bull i got as a puppy was properly socialized and he can run up to cats, puppies, small dogs and have nothing but love and curiosity for them. I would never let him run up to an animal that i dont know personally because what always ends up happening- pit bull runs up overly excited to make a new friend-the "friend" is most often smaller and feels intimidated and starts showing signs it is going to attack-pit bull is much to excited to notice these signs-"friend" attacks pit bull and the pit protects itself by biting back. Smaller dog recieves all the damage and pit bull gets labeled as a monster. This is Most often the case but it does happen so fast you miss the whole process of what is going on. Now that is with properly socialized dogs, there are still the ones who werent cared for from irresponsible owners and they do have the "get it" mentality just like any other dog raised for sport.

My pit was sitting in the room with me while i was cutting a friends dogs nails. The dog started growling at me and immediately my pit can over and layed between me and this dog. No one was going to hurt his mommy. He didnt resort to aggression, he was just being a protector. My dog is NOT an exception he is a properly raised pit bull in a responsible home.

And i completely agree that is the BSL does take pit bulls out of the equation, it will just me another dog. People fight pit bulls for money and sport, not because they look pretty fighting, or are the only ones that will fight. Rotweilers, GSDs, Chows will work just as well if the need arises. Then you will have BYB overpopulating that breed and filling the shelters with them instead of pit bulls.

i think it is ignorant for people to hate an animal for being an animal, instead of blaming people for ruining them.

 

[luvmytooo]

There are alot of dogs that dont do well with small animals and young children.
It is the owner , buyer , adopter to be made well aware of this .
My breed , the Border Collie is not a family dog or a couch potato. They are working dogs.
There may be a few out there that are more laid back and have less drive.
But,for the most part , they need a job to do or they get extremely destructive.
They can and will herd children , cats , other dogs , other pets , whatever.
They will also nip at the heels and butts of their intended , and that's where people freak and think OMG , he is biting Fluffy or Johnny ! And hire a trainer to train this behavior out of them.....well folks , it's innate , it's who they are.
If you cant deal with this , what the heck do you have this breed of dog for ?????
Same goes with other breeds......if you like feeding the birds at the park and like taking Buster with you , the a GSP would not be the best dog for you , get a Maltese instead
A lot of people don't research the breeds enough before they run out to get a dog.
I understand when adopting , you get what you get , but you took that oath when you brought the dog home. For better , for worse ! Adjust your daily routine to handle your dogs needs or dont have a dog. Just my opinion.....

 

[Molcan2]

HalfInsane you really brought up a sore subject. I think the debate of owning a pit bull should be added to the: never talk about religion, politics thing. Usually people have a really strong opinion on this topic. Usually based on their own personal experiences. You will have people who are strong advocates for the breed and then you will have people who are the complete opposite. You will ultimately have to make your own opinion here.

I'm not here to put down anyone who has the breed or the breed itself but my own experiences haven't been good. I would never own one based off of MY own personal experiences. I have been a vet tech for the last 7 1/2 years. I have worked with sooo many people who are strong (and I mean strong) pit bull advocates. I have had to euthanize 8 pit bulls because of aggression. Each and every one of them was licking my face and waging their tails as I had to do it. Unfortunately they had all attacked a child the night before (not all together). These are all separate instances that have happened over my time as a tech. Each one of these dogs lived in different houses belonged to different people (all vet techs who were at one time strong advocates for the breed) and were raised right. The worse one I had to do belonged to a really good friend. She had him as a puppy, he always was a perfect dog and then one night grabbed her son off the couch and drug him down the hallway violently shaking him the entire time. The child was 7, the dog was raised with the child. She was sitting next to the child when it happened and they had to fight to get him to let go. As soon as he let go he started acting normal again like nothing had ever happened. That was the first pit bull I had to euthanize because of this behavior. Unfortunately I've had to do it so many times since. Its not that these owner's didn't want the dog, but by allowing the dog to live there was a potential risk for it to end up killing a child, these owners cried so hard and hurt so much when they had to do this. These dogs were members of the family. Another close friend of mine had a similar episode, she didn't want to euthanize so they removed his canines and he lives with her brother and by law the dog has to be caged if ANYONE else is around. She had this dog from 8wks old he was well socialized and just snapped one day.

Yes other breeds can be aggressive, very rarely will any other breed - raised with the family - turn on its own family members. Unfortunately it seems to be a theme with this breed. I'm not trying to upset anyone, and I would prefer no responses to my post. These were unfortunately my personal experiences. Its a touchy subject with me and has been very difficult to euthanize these particular dogs. Every time I work with a new person who is a pit bull advocate I get a knot in my stomach. It seems at some time or another we will end up in a sorrowful situation with horrible results.

What you end up getting is what you end up getting. What ever the outcome, it was YOUR decision - be prepared to have to make a tougher one.

 

[evesta]

I love all dogs, I have three small dogs and two are terriers. I have grown up with dobermans and bigger dogs though. I don't blame a pit if they attack, I blame the lame owners. Around here pits are everywhere, our neighborhood has several including my next door neighbors. But they do make me nervous because I have small dogs, cats and kids and my neighbors can't control their dog. I think they might of got rid of it now but they would parade it around in spiked collars while trying to walk it smoking, on the cell phone and carrying their baby. LOL, it would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

 

[Sadie]

Myth- Pit bulls Have lockjaw, If they bite down they cannot let go even if they want to.

Fact- No Pit bulls have Lockjaw. No dog in the world has a lockjaw. All dogs have the free will to let go whenever they want to. There have been studies to prove this.





Myth- Pit bulls "Snap" you can't avoid it-

Fact- Pit bulls do no just "Snap" As well as any dog. If any dog Bites...There is a reason.





Myth- BSL will get rid of all the bad dogs.

Fact- This is one of the stupidest things I have heard. Banning a breed will not stop the trainers from teaching other breeds to be aggresive. Ban more bad owners and we would be making a lot of progress by now. There aren't bad dogs, but there are MANY bad people.



Below is more facts- From Midwest Rescue of Illinois | Home



Fact 1: Surprise—A “pit bull” isn’t even a breed of dog

“Pit bull” is a generic term that refers to a number of breeds, including American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and others. At Midwest Rescue, we’re dedicated to helping all of these breeds, including pit bull mixes.

Fact 2: Pit bulls AREN’T mean and vicious

Pit bulls do carry a terrible stigma, and we’ll get to the reasons why in a minute. For the moment, put your preconceptions aside and read this description provided by the United Kennel Club—one of the most-respected authorities on dog breeds:

“The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. This breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. APBTs make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children. Because most APBTs exhibit some level of dog aggression and because of its powerful physique, the APBT requires an owner who will carefully socialize and obedience train the dog…The APBT is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely friendly, even with strangers. Aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable. This breed does very well in performance events because of its high level of intelligence and its willingness to work.

Eager to please? Extremely friendly? Noted for their love of children? Yes, that’s the real pit bull!

Fact #3: Pit bulls make great family pets (and we have the numbers to prove it)

The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATTS) is a professional organization that objectively tests the temperaments of various dog breeds.

They do this by methodically exposing members of a breed to a series of confrontational situations, then measuring their reaction. The more aggressive the reaction, the lower the score the dog receives. The score is based on the percentage of dogs in a breed that passed the test:

Here are some of the most recent results available. We’ve included some widely considered “most friendly” (like beagles and poodles) and some labeled “dangerous” (like Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and of course, pit bulls.

Warning: you will be surprised by the results!
ATTS Scores by Breed
Afghan: 72%
Australian Shepard: 79.2%
Beagle: 78.2%
Cairn Terrier: 70.7%
Chihuahua: 70.6%
Cocker Spaniel: 81.5%
German Shepherd: 82.8%
Golden Retriever: 83.6%
Labrador Retriever: 91.1%
Rottweiler: 82.3%
Toy Poodle: 80.9%
Yorkshire Terrier: 80.0%

Now, compare these to the pit bull breeds:
American Pit Bull Terrier: 83.4%
American Staffordshire Terrier: 83.3%
Staffordshire Bull Terrier: 93.2%

For this study, the ATTS evaluated more than 25,000 dogs and more than 200 breeds. The average score for all breeds together: 81%. As you can see, when it comes to having a reliably friendly temperament, the pit bull breeds well exceed the average!

You can find these scores and more at American Temperament Test Society, Inc. | A sound mind in a sound body

Fact #4: Pit bulls are widely abused by dog fighters (and therein lies the problem)

We don’t understand why anyone would take pleasure in watching animals fight for their lives, but apparently some people find this high entertainment. Shame on them!

Hundreds of years ago, our ancestors enjoyed bull baiting and bear baiting, other bloodthirsty forms of animal abuse. Similarly, ancestors of the pit bull were bred for this purpose—to fight in a ring against bulls and bears, generally to the death.

In short, bull dogs (known for their strength) were bred with terriers (known for their agility and feistiness) to produce the pit bull breeds. Today, these dogs continue to be a favorite with dog fighters, for several reasons: they are very strong, supposedly have a high pain tolerance, and have a strong desire to please their owners, even if it means dying for them.

At Midwest Rescue, we have participated in rescuing puppies from the hands of dogfighters. We believe these sweet babies were going to be used as “bait.” The good news is, these pups are now on their way to good homes. This is the horror we are up against. This is why we need your help.

Fact #5: Yes, some pit bulls are “animal aggressive”

Because of dog fighting, some pit bulls have been bred to be “animal aggressive”—i.e., aggressive towards dogs and other animals.

A dog that is animal aggressive may still make a fine pet. The key is socialization and training.

All our dogs undergo socialization and obedience training. Before we make any dog available for adoption, we test it. If a dog needs to be in a one-pet household, we clearly state that upfront.

That being said, many pit bulls are quite friendly with other animals. Our volunteers tend to own multiple pets—pit bulls, other dogs, cats, even kittens—and they get along just fine.

Fact #6: Very few pit bulls are “human aggressive”

Pit bulls have never been bred to be aggressive toward people. As the United Kennel Club notes, this is uncharacteristic of the breed.

So what about those headlines you see in the newspaper? For the media, printing a “pit bull attack!” headline is like yelling “shark!” on the beach. It draws attention.

Putting sensationalism aside, it is nearly impossible to get objective statistics regarding dog attacks and specific breeds.

However, we do know this: dogs that are abused are more likely to become human aggressive. And in urban America, pit bulls in great numbers have been grievously mistreated in an attempt to make them fighting dogs and guard dogs.

When we rescue a dog, we observe, test, and train it. We firmly believe human aggressive dogs should never be placed in a home. If a dog is found to be human aggressive, we will arrange to have it humanely euthanized.

Fact #7: Another surprise-- pit bulls were once the #1 family dog!

In the early part of the 20th century, pit bulls were the most popular breed of dog. Think of the RCA dog, the Buster Brown dog, Tige, and Pete the Pup from the Li’l Rascals.

Helen Keller, President Teddy Roosevelt, and General George Patton all owned pit bulls. Were these very smart people somehow unaware of the pit bull’s dangerous reputation? No, the pit bull’s bad reputation is a recent development.

 

[Lesa1211]

All I gotta say is go ahead Sadie, go ahead girl

 

[Molcan2]

A person can find all the info they want to support either having them or info supporting why you shouldn't. None of that can or will ever replace personal experiences. Usually if someone is posting on a forum typically they are looking for personal experiences, otherwise they would have just looked up info themselves from different sites.

 

[evesta]

Poor chihuahuas always get a bad rap too! If you were that small and someone huge comes poking fingers at your little buggy eyes, you'd go all chuck norris too!!! My Luna is like a bird, puts on a big bluff(growl, snarl, big bark, shake) but she will bite if people don't respect her warnings. But she is loyal to her people and never snaps at my children even if they don't respect her boundaries.

I also have a cairn terrier, talk about high prey drive! Who knew I was surrounded by all these viscious breeds. Good thing they have small mouths

 

[luvmytooo]

In a perfect world, if all dogs had to pass a temperment test BEFORE being bred , and not by every joe schmo who wants to make as buck but people who are dedicated to improving the breed. There would be a lot less dogs with problems ( genetically speaking )

 

[Violet]

A person can find all the info they want to support either having them or info supporting why you shouldn't. None of that can or will ever replace personal experiences. Usually if someone is posting on a forum typically they are looking for personal experiences, otherwise they would have just looked up info themselves from different sites.

People are often much more influenced by their own experiences, but that is definitely not always an indicator of reality. For example, I have yet to meet a friendly rescue bird. The ones I have met bit people, or had issues that make me uncomfortable holding them. This does not mean I think that ALL rescue birds are mean, I recognize that I cannot generalize my few experiences to an entire group, and I don't doubt that friendly birds exist.

On the flipside of the coin, in some areas there is huge socioeconomic disparity, and there are statistics showing differences in crime rates between different races. Do I think that people of certain races are more likely to commit crime, and therefore more dangerous? No. I think their behaviour is a direct product of the situation with which they were put in. I would imagine some people living in these areas would blame it on the person's skin colour, though.

Personal experience is not necessarily indicative of reality. If that were true, I would dislike a lot of things or have some really warped views on some subjects. It is reasons like these that science and empirical data are so, so important.