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Should pit bulls be banned?

Should pit bulls be banned?


  • Total voters
    52
Pit Bull Myths
"Pit Bulls have locking jaws." The jaws of the Pit Bull are functionally
the same as the jaws of any other breed, and this has been proven via
expert examination.

The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the
skulls, mandibles and teeth of Pit Bulls show that, in proportion to their
size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is
no different than that of any [other] breed of dog. There is absolutely
not evidence for the existence of any kind of ’locking mechanism’ unique
to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier,
says Dr. I. Lerh Brisbin of the University of Georgia (from the ADBA
booklet, “Discover the American Pit Bull Terrier.)

Their jaws may not lock, but they are strong. When my pit mix bites his deflated soccer ball I can pick it up and spin him in circles without him losing his grip.
 
James Nevils, 5, mauled to death by dog in Gresham; dog killed | abc7chicago.com

Another day, another life lost due to irresponsible pet ownership.

The question I pose today is: Should we ban "dangerous" breeds of dogs, and in particular the pit bull (a term encompassing several breeds of dogs)?

Let me preface my opinion with the fact that I am a pit bull/Labrador mix and pit bull owner. They are the sweetest dogs on the planet and get along with people, dogs, cats, children, etc.

When discussing pitbulls and breed specifics, excluding the very valid statistics involving incidents of bites, maulings, unpredictable behavior, etc, it is my personal opinion that pits are like any other dog in their instincts, their loyalty to their owners, their response to firm pack leadership, their intelligence, etc. Anyone who has ever came across a pitbull owned by a responsible dog owner knows they can be great family dogs capable of much love and affection.

The issue with pitbulls, and I'm sure this will be debated, is not the breed itself, and not even good/bad owners, but the types of people attracted to pitbulls in the first place. They are seen as a status dog, much like Rottweilers and other larger, stronger, more brutish, intimidating looking animals. And for that reason, many people seek them out and own them for the wrong reasons.

Any dog can have a good/bad owner. Bad ownership usually implies a lack of understanding towards the establishment of a pack leader, not honing in and nipping negative traits while fostering positive traits (laziness), not exercising the dog enough, allowing aggressive behaviors to manifest without addressing them, not taking advantage of puppyhood to socialize and train them, etc.

However, most people don't SEEK to be bad owners. They just don't understand or take in all the responsibilities that owning a dog entails.

Pitbull owners in many communities across the country SEEK to have a badass, intimidating dog. That's why their associated with ghetto black and white trash communities (coincidentally where pit attacks happen most). You don't hear of cocker spaniel maulings or maulings from many other breeds to often because these dogs aren't sought out as a status symbol. These maulings usually come from bad pet ownership because of the reasons listed above. Pitbulls have a bad wrap because of the types of owners they attract.

Are pitbulls dangerous? Like other large breed dogs, they are more muscular, heavier, and can inflict much more harm to someone than a Yorker terrier. In this regard, all large dog breeds are dangerous.

It's people that are dangerous. Irresponsible, stupid people who don't take their role as a pet owner serious enough. And for that reason, pitbulls suffer from unfair criticism and stigmatism in this country. Pit owners like myself face apartment discrimination all the time, and have to deal with negative perceptions (quite deserved) from people who don't understand the breed.

So to sum up - should pitbulls be banned? My answer is neither yes nor no. I think enough irresponsible people out there in the world seek out pitbulls that it's to be expected that I may have a tougher time having certain communities accept my dogs. With owning a pitbull comes different sets of challenges, mainly public perception that you must be willing to accept and deal with. And that perception is definitely justified, though unfair to the breed as a whole.

My pit bull was "the sweetest dog on the planet" too, until he mauled my six month old daughter to death.
 
Banned from what...existence?

Too late.

But any animal that is easily capable of killing a child should be classified as a weapon and the owner must have a license to own such an animal. Plus, the animal should pass some sort of exam from an expert that they are well tempered/well trained.
 
My 4 year old niece was killed by her parents pit bull and I still do not believe pit bulls should be banned. It is the rotten owners that are the problem and not the dog breed. In my nieces case her parents knew full well the dog was aggressive and prone to attacking people. They knew it posed a risk to their newborn child. Their solution, chain him up in the yard. This of course was a terrible plan and one headed for disaster. Anyone with any sense should be smart enough not to keep a dangerous animal around your children under any circumstances. What ultimately happened 4 years later is her parents let her outside to play not fully supervised with instructions not to go near the dog, well no reasonable person would expect a 4 year old to always listen, anyway she attempted to play with the dog (or strayed to close) and he mauled her to death.

It's hit and miss. My dog was never aggressive until he killed my daughter. Wasn't raised to fight, just a family pet.
 
It's hit and miss. My dog was never aggressive until he killed my daughter. Wasn't raised to fight, just a family pet.

I am sorry to hear about your daughter. That has to be a terrible thing to go threw.


Your situation seems to be a lot more understandable than my nieces. In her case they knew the dog posed a serious threat and refused to get rid of it. When the mother was pregnant I even strongly suggest they get rid of the dog multiple times but their reply "he is one of the family". I am sorry but my child's safely would always come first. In their case they seemed to be torn between the dog and their daughter which I just cannot understand and I completely place the blame of the situation on them.
 
James Nevils, 5, mauled to death by dog in Gresham; dog killed | abc7chicago.com

Another day, another life lost due to irresponsible pet ownership.

The question I pose today is: Should we ban "dangerous" breeds of dogs, and in particular the pit bull (a term encompassing several breeds of dogs)?

Let me preface my opinion with the fact that I am a pit bull/Labrador mix and pit bull owner. They are the sweetest dogs on the planet and get along with people, dogs, cats, children, etc.

When discussing pitbulls and breed specifics, excluding the very valid statistics involving incidents of bites, maulings, unpredictable behavior, etc, it is my personal opinion that pits are like any other dog in their instincts, their loyalty to their owners, their response to firm pack leadership, their intelligence, etc. Anyone who has ever came across a pitbull owned by a responsible dog owner knows they can be great family dogs capable of much love and affection.

The issue with pitbulls, and I'm sure this will be debated, is not the breed itself, and not even good/bad owners, but the types of people attracted to pitbulls in the first place. They are seen as a status dog, much like Rottweilers and other larger, stronger, more brutish, intimidating looking animals. And for that reason, many people seek them out and own them for the wrong reasons.

Any dog can have a good/bad owner. Bad ownership usually implies a lack of understanding towards the establishment of a pack leader, not honing in and nipping negative traits while fostering positive traits (laziness), not exercising the dog enough, allowing aggressive behaviors to manifest without addressing them, not taking advantage of puppyhood to socialize and train them, etc.

However, most people don't SEEK to be bad owners. They just don't understand or take in all the responsibilities that owning a dog entails.

Pitbull owners in many communities across the country SEEK to have a badass, intimidating dog. That's why their associated with ghetto black and white trash communities (coincidentally where pit attacks happen most). You don't hear of cocker spaniel maulings or maulings from many other breeds to often because these dogs aren't sought out as a status symbol. These maulings usually come from bad pet ownership because of the reasons listed above. Pitbulls have a bad wrap because of the types of owners they attract.

Are pitbulls dangerous? Like other large breed dogs, they are more muscular, heavier, and can inflict much more harm to someone than a Yorker terrier. In this regard, all large dog breeds are dangerous.

It's people that are dangerous. Irresponsible, stupid people who don't take their role as a pet owner serious enough. And for that reason, pitbulls suffer from unfair criticism and stigmatism in this country. Pit owners like myself face apartment discrimination all the time, and have to deal with negative perceptions (quite deserved) from people who don't understand the breed.

So to sum up - should pitbulls be banned? My answer is neither yes nor no. I think enough irresponsible people out there in the world seek out pitbulls that it's to be expected that I may have a tougher time having certain communities accept my dogs. With owning a pitbull comes different sets of challenges, mainly public perception that you must be willing to accept and deal with. And that perception is definitely justified, though unfair to the breed as a whole.

There's almost certainly something to the idea that the type of owner attracted to pit bulls are actively seeking out dangerous dogs. However, as pit bulls are lead all other breed for attacks on human on every list reported, it's not really something I'd want to take a chance on. As for banning pit bulls, I'm not sure of the logistics for that even if I did support it.
 
People should be held accountable for their animals behavior. We have a neighbor that has 5 dogs. She is nuts so her dogs are nuts. She has absolutely no control over those dogs. She has them because they are cute and bark. So far she has had 16 dog at large tickets and one vicious animal ticket. She goes to court for 14 of those counts of animal at large Monday. The vicious dog charge was because her dog bit a Buddhist monk. They chase wildlife, bark all night long, bite people and crap all over other people's property. It isn't the fault of those dogs. They are doing what dogs do when there isn't any direction or leadership.

One of these days someone is going to have to shoot one or more of those dogs. That is a shame because it isn't the dog's fault.

Some people shouldn't have dogs but every dog should have someone.

I guess my answer would be NO.
 
NO - we do not need to ban the breed. My son owns two and they are amazingly sweet dogs. Yes, its true - some buttwipes ruin some of this breed. Screw em.
 
Should pit bulls be banned?

If you are unsure or think they should be banned just watch the show, Pit Bulls and Parolees.
 
No, but maybe you can ban some people from owning them. If people have shown to be irresponsible pet owners with a previous dog, maybe you can ban them from owning dangerous dogs in the future.
 
People should be held accountable for their animals behavior. We have a neighbor that has 5 dogs. She is nuts so her dogs are nuts. She has absolutely no control over those dogs. She has them because they are cute and bark. So far she has had 16 dog at large tickets and one vicious animal ticket. She goes to court for 14 of those counts of animal at large Monday. The vicious dog charge was because her dog bit a Buddhist monk. They chase wildlife, bark all night long, bite people and crap all over other people's property. It isn't the fault of those dogs. They are doing what dogs do when there isn't any direction or leadership.

One of these days someone is going to have to shoot one or more of those dogs. That is a shame because it isn't the dog's fault.

Some people shouldn't have dogs but every dog should have someone.

I guess my answer would be NO.
Animal at large? I'm presuming that's newspeak for stray or allowed to be loose.
 
Yes, ban pit bulls.

The dogs have been bred for fighting for years. Their inbred because they wanted that powerful jaw and upper body. They aren't always violent, of course, but their genetic history has been selected for violence. Ban breeding them, ban selling them, ban keeping them outside, ban unlicensed ownership, ban them outright, I don't care. Do something. Pits are 50% of reported dog bites. That breed alone kills more than every other type combined.

Websites are cool: Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to December 31, 2014 - By Merritt Clifton - DogsBite.org

An abused Labrador hides in a corner. An abused pit bull bites. Those that abuse animals should be prosecuted, fined immensely, and have ownership privileges revoked. I'd also worry about custody of children. If I can't trust them with an animal, I don't know if I want to trust them with a kid.
 
I am going against the tide here and saying yes, it should be illegal to breed and sell Pit Bulls even though I know some of these dogs who are adorable sweet creatures and though I know a number of folks, including family members, who have one or more.

But being rated the most dangerous breed with more than 100% more injuries and more than double the fatalities caused by the second most dangerous greed (Rottweilers), it is too often that non aggressive, sweet, lovable Pit Bull who inexplicably mauls and injures or kills a child or others. There is something in their breeding that puts them at risk of 'snapping' or going against their demonstrated natures without provocation or warning. No amount of competent training or being good owners can correct that possibility. It is relatively rare but numbers into the dozens of human fatalities and hundreds of attacks on people and other dogs are recorded every year and Pit Bulls, 6% of the total dog population, account for 64% of the fatalities and more for other attacks. (Rottweilers account for the next 8% and all other breeds involved are less than 3%.)

Lord knows that I understand those who love a pit bull and adore the breed. But I just don't think the risk is worth it.
 
I am sorry to hear about your daughter. That has to be a terrible thing to go threw.


Your situation seems to be a lot more understandable than my nieces. In her case they knew the dog posed a serious threat and refused to get rid of it. When the mother was pregnant I even strongly suggest they get rid of the dog multiple times but their reply "he is one of the family". I am sorry but my child's safely would always come first. In their case they seemed to be torn between the dog and their daughter which I just cannot understand and I completely place the blame of the situation on them.

Thank you for the kind words. Definitely not something I would wish on anyone. It happened many years ago, though as you can imagine, it's not something you ever fully recover from.

My heart still bleeds for your niece, no matter the circumstance. :(
 
Animal at large? I'm presuming that's newspeak for stray or allowed to be loose.

It is a legal term for a legal charge when animals are allowed to run loose. No idea what "newspeak" is, sorry.
 
James Nevils, 5, mauled to death by dog in Gresham; dog killed | abc7chicago.com

Another day, another life lost due to irresponsible pet ownership.

The question I pose today is: Should we ban "dangerous" breeds of dogs, and in particular the pit bull (a term encompassing several breeds of dogs)?

Let me preface my opinion with the fact that I am a pit bull/Labrador mix and pit bull owner. They are the sweetest dogs on the planet and get along with people, dogs, cats, children, etc.

When discussing pitbulls and breed specifics, excluding the very valid statistics involving incidents of bites, maulings, unpredictable behavior, etc, it is my personal opinion that pits are like any other dog in their instincts, their loyalty to their owners, their response to firm pack leadership, their intelligence, etc. Anyone who has ever came across a pitbull owned by a responsible dog owner knows they can be great family dogs capable of much love and affection.

The issue with pitbulls, and I'm sure this will be debated, is not the breed itself, and not even good/bad owners, but the types of people attracted to pitbulls in the first place. They are seen as a status dog, much like Rottweilers and other larger, stronger, more brutish, intimidating looking animals. And for that reason, many people seek them out and own them for the wrong reasons.

Any dog can have a good/bad owner. Bad ownership usually implies a lack of understanding towards the establishment of a pack leader, not honing in and nipping negative traits while fostering positive traits (laziness), not exercising the dog enough, allowing aggressive behaviors to manifest without addressing them, not taking advantage of puppyhood to socialize and train them, etc.

However, most people don't SEEK to be bad owners. They just don't understand or take in all the responsibilities that owning a dog entails.

Pitbull owners in many communities across the country SEEK to have a badass, intimidating dog. That's why their associated with ghetto black and white trash communities (coincidentally where pit attacks happen most). You don't hear of cocker spaniel maulings or maulings from many other breeds to often because these dogs aren't sought out as a status symbol. These maulings usually come from bad pet ownership because of the reasons listed above. Pitbulls have a bad wrap because of the types of owners they attract.

Are pitbulls dangerous? Like other large breed dogs, they are more muscular, heavier, and can inflict much more harm to someone than a Yorker terrier. In this regard, all large dog breeds are dangerous.

It's people that are dangerous. Irresponsible, stupid people who don't take their role as a pet owner serious enough. And for that reason, pitbulls suffer from unfair criticism and stigmatism in this country. Pit owners like myself face apartment discrimination all the time, and have to deal with negative perceptions (quite deserved) from people who don't understand the breed.

So to sum up - should pitbulls be banned? My answer is neither yes nor no. I think enough irresponsible people out there in the world seek out pitbulls that it's to be expected that I may have a tougher time having certain communities accept my dogs. With owning a pitbull comes different sets of challenges, mainly public perception that you must be willing to accept and deal with. And that perception is definitely justified, though unfair to the breed as a whole.

No . . why should they. What legitimate reason is there to "ban" pit bulls?
 
James Nevils, 5, mauled to death by dog in Gresham; dog killed | abc7chicago.com

Another day, another life lost due to irresponsible pet ownership.

The question I pose today is: Should we ban "dangerous" breeds of dogs, and in particular the pit bull (a term encompassing several breeds of dogs)?

Let me preface my opinion with the fact that I am a pit bull/Labrador mix and pit bull owner. They are the sweetest dogs on the planet and get along with people, dogs, cats, children, etc.

When discussing pitbulls and breed specifics, excluding the very valid statistics involving incidents of bites, maulings, unpredictable behavior, etc, it is my personal opinion that pits are like any other dog in their instincts, their loyalty to their owners, their response to firm pack leadership, their intelligence, etc. Anyone who has ever came across a pitbull owned by a responsible dog owner knows they can be great family dogs capable of much love and affection.

The issue with pitbulls, and I'm sure this will be debated, is not the breed itself, and not even good/bad owners, but the types of people attracted to pitbulls in the first place. They are seen as a status dog, much like Rottweilers and other larger, stronger, more brutish, intimidating looking animals. And for that reason, many people seek them out and own them for the wrong reasons.

Any dog can have a good/bad owner. Bad ownership usually implies a lack of understanding towards the establishment of a pack leader, not honing in and nipping negative traits while fostering positive traits (laziness), not exercising the dog enough, allowing aggressive behaviors to manifest without addressing them, not taking advantage of puppyhood to socialize and train them, etc.

However, most people don't SEEK to be bad owners. They just don't understand or take in all the responsibilities that owning a dog entails.

Pitbull owners in many communities across the country SEEK to have a badass, intimidating dog. That's why their associated with ghetto black and white trash communities (coincidentally where pit attacks happen most). You don't hear of cocker spaniel maulings or maulings from many other breeds to often because these dogs aren't sought out as a status symbol. These maulings usually come from bad pet ownership because of the reasons listed above. Pitbulls have a bad wrap because of the types of owners they attract.

Are pitbulls dangerous? Like other large breed dogs, they are more muscular, heavier, and can inflict much more harm to someone than a Yorker terrier. In this regard, all large dog breeds are dangerous.

It's people that are dangerous. Irresponsible, stupid people who don't take their role as a pet owner serious enough. And for that reason, pitbulls suffer from unfair criticism and stigmatism in this country. Pit owners like myself face apartment discrimination all the time, and have to deal with negative perceptions (quite deserved) from people who don't understand the breed.

So to sum up - should pitbulls be banned? My answer is neither yes nor no. I think enough irresponsible people out there in the world seek out pitbulls that it's to be expected that I may have a tougher time having certain communities accept my dogs. With owning a pitbull comes different sets of challenges, mainly public perception that you must be willing to accept and deal with. And that perception is definitely justified, though unfair to the breed as a whole.

The problem is not with the dogs themselves, but with the owners and how they train their dogs. Owners of dogs who allow them to injure someone should be the ones in jail. They should also lose their dogs and those dogs need to be placed in some type of facility to train them to be civil dogs.
 
Yes, an eliminated breed, a bad invention.
 
I have had and currently have a number of Rottweilers. Everyone is trained, socialized, is kept in a large fenced yard, lives in the house, walks on a leash and has been a wonderful companion and family member. Even though I trusted them with children, I always watched them around children not because I worried but because it's responsible. A hundred thirty five pound dog can knock a child down by turning it's head unexpectedly. The old axiom is there are no bad dogs,only bad owners is true enough. Anybody who keeps a dog on a chain or lets them run loose is not a responsible dog owner and they only look for trouble.
 
Just in my own experiences the dogs are not the problem. You can find plenty of data to show pit bulls biting more people than this breed or that breed, or doing more damage when they do, and that is a fair argument. However, pit bulls are also very popular among irresponsible crowds who are more likely than others to neglect the dog, and even teach it to attack, or encourage it to be aggressive because they think it is cool or funny or whatever the case may be. Alot of people also seek pit bulls specifically for protection of property and family and again teach them to be aggressive. The dogs are great pets for the most when raised properly, as seen in countless homes around the world. I wouldn't advocate leaving a pit around small children, especially children your dog hasn't known consistently for years, until you know how they are going to act, but I wouldn't with any breed. But I don't think the problem is with the breed, but rather the people who are commonly drawn to them.

I would not support banning pits, or any breed. I would support requiring people to take a class before owning a dog. Licensing the owners. Renewable every few years. Something along those lines. I'd also support people being held responsible for what their pets do, especially if the owner could have prevented it.
 
Just in my own experiences the dogs are not the problem. You can find plenty of data to show pit bulls biting more people than this breed or that breed, or doing more damage when they do, and that is a fair argument. However, pit bulls are also very popular among irresponsible crowds who are more likely than others to neglect the dog, and even teach it to attack, or encourage it to be aggressive because they think it is cool or funny or whatever the case may be. Alot of people also seek pit bulls specifically for protection of property and family and again teach them to be aggressive. The dogs are great pets for the most when raised properly, as seen in countless homes around the world. I wouldn't advocate leaving a pit around small children, especially children your dog hasn't known consistently for years, until you know how they are going to act, but I wouldn't with any breed. But I don't think the problem is with the breed, but rather the people who are commonly drawn to them.

I would not support banning pits, or any breed. I would support requiring people to take a class before owning a dog. Licensing the owners. Renewable every few years. Something along those lines. I'd also support people being held responsible for what their pets do, especially if the owner could have prevented it.
Yes, and why is that? They are more popular with the irresponsible crowd because they have been bred to be more trainable to be aggressive and more apt to do what the irresponsible people want them to do. Irresponsible people choose this type of dog for a reason. There are bigger dogs. There are stronger dogs. This dog has the 'right' qualities combined to do what they want.
 
Pit bulls are not a specific breed- they are a set of characteristics. You want to ban that?

Pits have been so over bred that they need to let the breed clean out.
Too many jerk offs have bred dogs too closely related and done horrible things to them to make the breed unstable.
 
My pit bull was "the sweetest dog on the planet" too, until he mauled my six month old daughter to death.
I hear that a lot down here.
Sadly I blame people, but the dog for the most part is unstable and not easily controlled.
 
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