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Pitbulls

I personally wouldn't want a pit bull, and especially if I still had children at home. I know several people who have owned them and had nothing but praise, but my own personal experience with one was that I would be missing 1 butt cheek if I hadn't been wearing a large loose thick padded jacket that hung down over my butt one cold winter day, a few years ago.;)
 
Tsunami said:
Doing so will only lead to the same conclusion everyone already realizes: that pit bulls and (to a lesser extent) rottweilers are more dangerous than the other domestic breeds. Whether they attack more often is unclear. But the methods and severity of those attacks cause most of the serious injuries and fatalities. And those factors seem to be breed related.
http://www.dogbitelaw.com/Dog Attacks 1982 to 2006 Clifton.pdf
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For the longest time, I have been passionately opposed to breed laws. I have lived with Pit Bulls that I enjoyed very much and have been around several others, both mix and pure. I love the breed. I find that everytime I have the opportunity to interact with them, I always find them serene and friendly. Out of all dogs with which I have interacted, this breed has the greatest ability to cause me to feel assured and put me at calm ease.

However, over time I have come to a realization that the opponents of the breed may be right. Here is a quote from the cited article that I find particularly relevant:

Temperament is not the issue, nor is it even relevant. What is
relevant is actuarial risk. If almost any other dog has a bad moment,
someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the
actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a
Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed--and that
has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as
their victims are paying the price.​
In all the argumentation, I never see anyone address the issue of their capability to do great damage. The issue is always addressed from the standpoint of whether their temperament is flawed.

Two commenters in this thread have addressed this very issue. One writer said that his bad encounter with a Pit Bull was almost tragic. Another writer said that the reason Pit Bulls are getting a bad rap is because larger dog's ability to do damage is greater. Both of these statements support the very thing that the quoted paragraph states.

I mean, who cares if there a thousand times more numbers of aggressive Yorkshire Terriers than Pit Bulls, if all the maimings and deaths are caused by the more powerful breeds?

And no, it is not the fault of the breed. It is the fault of people either not training the animal properly or putting the breed into situations where things can go bad. What difference does this make, really? People are not perfect. If people's imperfection as it relates to specific dog breeds is causing other people to be maimed or killed, I quite frankly don't believe that asking people to be less imperfect is the better answer.

The only question that remains for me is to assess the true risk when encountering a moderately well raised Pit Bull. Such information is hard to come by, unfortunately. Numbers of attacks relative other breeds simply don't answer this question.
 
Goshin said:
I am a dog expert, and I earned that title the hard way. As a power company employee I've literally dealt with thousands of dogs in someone else's yard, and furthermore have recieved professional training in dealing with dogs.

Pit bulls are not, to my experience, inherently vicious unless someone made them that way. That is not to say they are "safe", as NO DOG IS SAFE. Any dog, I don't give a rat's ### what breed, may bite under the right circumstances. The only dog that is 100% sure to never bite is one that has no teeth.

The problem with Pitts is twofold:
1. Many people DO deliberately make them vicious, with the intent of using them as guard dogs. Drug dealers are particularly prone to this, and many dealer houses will be literally surrounded with Pitts on chains so that you cannot approach without encountering at least one.
2. IF A PITT does "go bad" or attack someone they shouldn't have, the Pit-bull's incredible musculature and powerful jaws make him a deadly threat.

I have "known" probably a hundred or more Pitbulls. Many of them were sweet and friendly dogs. Some were vicious. I have been attacked by a Pitt, once. The attack was very serious, the dog tried to kill me with great persistence. I was forced to kill the dog to prevent him from killing me.

Despite this I don't automatically fear Pitbulls, instead I observe their behavior before getting out of the truck and determine whether they are a threat... most Pits are NOT if not provoked, unless they've been raised to be vicious as I said. If I judge them a threat, I don't fool with them. If a pitbull was in my yard and showed any sign of aggression I would shoot him immediately. A "Bad" pit is no joke.

Some people want to ban the breed. I wouldn't go that far, but possibly classifying them as a "dangerous breed" and holding owners in higher liability if they get loose and harm someone might be reasonable.
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That's pretty much my experience as well. I'd add that My brother has had two or three Rottweilers over the years and a friend had a Pit. They were all teddy bears.

(The pit used to run at strangers in the yard, then flip over in mid stride to slide up to them for a belly rub. They quickly made friends with her, once the hysterical screams and sobbing stopped.)

But since most people who want viscous dogs go straight to these breeds, I am always alert when encountering them in places or with people I am unfamiliar with.
 
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if you cannot see the pups parents and check out their history, don't buy the pup.

I have never had a pup, mostly I got rescue dogsimg003.jpgthe black gsd, my darling Asia was about to be put down by a rescue home I support, she could not be controlled by any of there staff.

I went into her cage, put her on the lead and took her home.

Ps a good well trained dog will pick up the vibe you give off, Max my brothers Boerboel is very sensitive to our moods.
 
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padeswood 025.jpgclic on pic
 
Dogs, will bite---that is what they do---I don't trust any dog to be docile at all times, and I've owned many dogs.
 
Wings,years ago, I bit someones ear off:)
 
MyOwnDrum said:
We're having an issue in our neighborhood regarding a Pitbull. I'm against this breed, having been bitten by a Pitbull in an unprovoked attack. I believe they are a violence prone breed. I have two dogs myself, a Bab and a order Collie/Australian Shepherd.
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I've owned two pitbulls. One lived to be 13 and the other is currently 6. They have been raised and have lived their entire lives around small children and there has yet to be a single incident. It's all about the ability of the owner to control and properly raise his pet. :shrug:
 
MyOwnDrum said:
Let me say that this Pitbull non-responsive to human direction. I have extensive experience with dogs because I'm a walker and runner. They are universally easy to ward off with body language and verbal signals in my experience. This dog is impervious. It essentially ignores humans, including the owner, who has no influence over the dog.
I pray that it will stay on it's chain, but I'm fearful, which is a rarity in me.
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Rat poison + cheese = Problem Solved.
 
Our dog, Tally, is half pit and half lab. When we adopted her, the shelter told us that she was half Staffordshire terrier. What we later learned was that pitbull and Staffordshires are virtually indistinguishable. Staffordshire Terriers are called "nanny dogs" in the UK because of their gentle nature and protective personality with children. Tally is a very strong, muscular dog, but she's a perfect family dog. She was a shelter rescue, and doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She is very protective and gentle towards our cat, bunny, and my kids. She won't go to sleep at night until she knows that every cat (we have 3) is in the house. She's a very tender, sweet, cuddly dog who sleeps in my daughter's bed every night.

At the same time, she also is a great watch dog, though, because her bark sounds like she's going to tear your face off. Poeple don't realize how gentle and tame she actually is when they hear/see her bark.
 
Ethereal said:
Rat poison + cheese = Problem Solved.
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As I say, I'm on good terms with these neighbors. They have 5 dachshunds as permanent residents of their abode, the pitbull will go when they get fed up with their adult daughter and her new husband, which should be happening by next spring we all predict. They have a small house, 5 dachshunds, 1 obnoxious adolescent dog, the husband, wife, and their daughter and her new husband, who we hear is on probation from Georgia for beating up his mother. :rolleyes:

This is a situation where nature will take care of itself. These are good neighbors, believe it or not.
 
MyOwnDrum said:
We're having an issue in our neighborhood regarding a Pitbull. I'm against this breed, having been bitten by a Pitbull in an unprovoked attack. I believe they are a violence prone breed. I have two dogs myself, a Bab and a order Collie/Australian Shepherd.


Dog Bite Statistics from dogexpert.com
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I think all dogs (or most) can become violent if the owner trains it like that. Saying that, I personally think rottweilers, pit bulls, boxers and other such 'dangerous' dogs should be not banned (Tho personally I'd support such a action) but registered and chipped and if it is attacks a human being the dog ought to get put down immediately and the owner thrown in jail.
I also think a individual should get a licence to get a hold of these types of dogs
 
Laila said:
I think all dogs (or most) can become violent if the owner trains it like that. Saying that, I personally think rottweilers, pit bulls, boxers and other such 'dangerous' dogs should be not banned (Tho personally I'd support such a action) but registered and chipped and if it is attacks a human being the dog ought to get put down immediately and the owner thrown in jail.
I also think a individual should get a licence to get a hold of these types of dogs
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I agree with your idea. I didn't know, though, that boxers were considered dangerous. My friend has one, it's very benign. Were they bred for aggression like the pitbulls?
 
MyOwnDrum said:
As I say, I'm on good terms with these neighbors. They have 5 dachshunds as permanent residents of their abode, the pitbull will go when they get fed up with their adult daughter and her new husband, which should be happening by next spring we all predict. They have a small house, 5 dachshunds, 1 obnoxious adolescent dog, the husband, wife, and their daughter and her new husband, who we hear is on probation from Georgia for beating up his mother. :rolleyes:

This is a situation where nature will take care of itself. These are good neighbors, believe it or not.
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Maybe the dog will take out the new husband. It would make me smile if he did.
 
Catz Part Deux said:
What we later learned was that pitbull and Staffordshires are virtually indistinguishable.
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Not only are they "Viturally" indistinguishable...they are. "Pitbull" is just a slang term for Staffordshire Terriers.
 
independent_thinker2002 said:
Maybe the dog will take out the new husband. It would make me smile if he did.
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He sounds like a real winner. I hear the probation officer has already been by. Our state has tightened up its monitoring of out of state probationers and parolees lately due to a serious incident. :cool:
 
Pitbulls are just the scapegoat of the moment....in the past it has been Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds.

The reality is, sure....there are some bad people who have bred pitbulls to fight. However, the VAST majority of the breed have not been bred by bad people and don't have the bad traits. They are, however, like any big dog, powerful and a potential risk if not properly trained and monitored.
Should everyone have a pitbull ---- absolutely not.
Should everyone be prevented from having a pitbull? Just as silly a thought.
 
disneydude said:
Pitbulls are just the scapegoat of the moment....in the past it has been Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds.

The reality is, sure....there are some bad people who have bred pitbulls to fight. However, the VAST majority of the breed have not been bred by bad people and don't have the bad traits. They are, however, like any big dog, powerful and a potential risk if not properly trained and monitored.
Should everyone have a pitbull ---- absolutely not.
Should everyone be prevented from having a pitbull? Just as silly a thought.
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I would support regulating/licensing for large breed dogs.
 
Seems I remember ready a few months back, about an elderly Lady, that passed out in the Kitchen, and her Loving, kind dogs, Dogs ate her face.
 
One problem in my town is that there is no animal control. We just don't have a dogcatcher here.
 
Skateguy said:
Seems I remember ready a few months back, about an elderly Lady, that passed out in the Kitchen, and her Loving, kind dogs, Dogs ate her face.
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She had a seizure I believe. I don't think she was elderly. It was a labrador.
 
independent_thinker2002 said:
She had a seizure I believe. I don't think she was elderly. It was a labrador.
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Labs are often gluttons. My lab would be morbidly obese if we let her eat all she wants. Maybe it got hungry. ;)
 
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