Christine Hibbard, CTC, CPDT
If you speak with any of us at Companion Animal Solutions, follow our blog or work with us, you know the answer to this question. No, we do not believe that Pit Bulls are inherently dangerous. So why am I writing about this topic again?
In September, I got a phone call from a reporter at Q13 News who wanted to interview me on camera about whether Pit Bulls are inherently dangerous. I asked the reporter what had happened and he said, “Don’t worry about it. I just want your professional opinion as to whether Pit Bulls are inherently dangerous”. He also informed me he would be at my office within 30 minutes. You can read the transcript of the interview here. It wasn’t until after the interview aired that I discovered a woman had been horribly mauled by a Pit Bull.
Then about four weeks later, a reporter named Eric Johnson at KOMO 4 News interviewed Dr. Jim Ha, CAAB extensively about canine ethology and behavioral genetics. I highly recommend watching this piece because the reporter interviewed several people and truly tried to give exposure to all sides of the Pit Bull issue. The overall question the piece was trying to answer was the same though. Are Pit Bulls genetically wired for aggression? While we all feel truly awful for anyone injured by a dog, why does every dog attack case involving a Pit Bull illicit the same question from the media? If Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists, Veterinarians, Certified Dog Behavior Consultants and Certified Professional Dog Trainers do not believe Pit Bulls are inherently dangerous, then why does the question keep coming up? In addition to the sensationalism that drives media in America, I believe the question keeps coming up because the issue of Pit Bulls is a complex one and like any complex issue, people end up on opposite ends of the argument without evaluating or understanding the facts.
Prior to their popularity with criminals and others looking for a dog to project a tough or intimidating image, Pit Bulls were known for being family dogs. Greta Kaplan, CPDT, CDBC recently wrote in a report to a client:
Because Pit Bulls were bred to fight with other dogs and had to be handled safely by humans, the exact opposite pattern was deliberately selected for: The dog would not inhibit its behavior toward the other dog, but would completely inhibit any aggression toward the human handler. This selected trait is closely related to why Staffordshire Bull Terriers and the early Pit Bull Type dogs are known as the “Nanny Dog,” considered incredibly safe with children. They are sturdy, insensitive to pain, handling and spatial proximity, and incredibly inhibited when faced with aggressive, threatening or intrusive human behavior.
We know that animal behavior is a combination of nature (genetics) and nurture (learning). We know that genetics plays a part in what people sometimes call “breed specific behaviors”. That’s why when we work a dog behavior case, we use ethology to help us identify why certain behavior is happening but even within a specific breed, dogs can vary widely. When we talk about the ethology of Pit Bulls, the topic begins to veer off course because unfortunately for the breed, they became popular with criminals. Criminals have selectively bred these dogs for generations for dog/dog aggression. Often, dog/dog aggression (or gameness) doesn’t begin to appear until after a dog reaches sexual maturity (six months) or social maturity (18 months). Often, it doesn’t appear at all. The behavior problems we see Pit Bulls for the most are generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, fear and dog/dog aggression. Notice that human directed aggression is not on this list.
In Jim’s interview, he estimated that 20% to 30% of a dog’s behavior is based on genetics. If he’s correct, then that leaves a HUGE area for which nurture or learning is responsible for the behavior we see. In Ray Coppinger’s book Dogs, he makes compelling arguments for how brains develop and how learning takes place that emphasize how adaptable dogs can be if socialized properly per the purpose we want the dog to serve. I’m paraphrasing here but basically one of the points he makes is that if you want a flock guarding dog, choose any village dog with low prey drive and raise it with sheep during it’s critical social period. Viola, you’ve got a flock guard.
If socialization/learning is so important, what can happen when a Pit Bull is isolated and even abused? If a certain societal element or owner wants dogs who are aggressive, we’ll get dogs who are aggressive. Blaming the breed is ludicrous if you look at and understand the facts of how learning takes place. Now don’t think I haven’t worked with Pit Bulls I’ve thought were dangerous, I have. But I’ve worked through behavior problems with hundreds of dogs and I can tell you that a tiny percentage of them (less than 2%) are inherently dangerous and this has nothing to do with their breed. It’s how they’ve been bred, raised and trained (and I’m using the term trained loosely here). There’s a reason we’re so passionate about using scientific, humane training methods (no force, fear or pain please). Abusing a dog and calling it training often leads to anxiety, fear and human directed aggression.
There’s beginning to be some good news for Pit Bulls as a breed. Reputable rescues are working with these dogs and finding responsible homes for them. Most of the Vick Pit Bulls have moved on to have normal lives or even become therapy dogs. A recent piece on the NBC Morning News covered a school for the blind who is raising Pit Bull puppies and training Pit Bulls to be service dogs for blind and developmentally disabled children. Recently, the Seattle Kennel Club wrote an article about one of my favorite owner/dog pairs; Benny the Pit Bull and his owner Mike who is a Seattle Animal Care & Control Officer. I had the honor of working with Benny and Mike and I can tell you from personal experience, Benny’s play manners with my two rough housing Australian Shepherds was beyond reproach.
While we can’t stop irresponsible people and criminals from turning dogs into aggressive, dangerous dogs, we can all hope that the tide is turning. We also hope you’ll take this opportunity to tell us about your experience with Pit Bulls.
So after all this rubbish about pit bulls being trust-able around kids:
https://news.sky.com/story/1209725/pit-bull-dog-kills-baby-girl-in-blackburn
Pit Bull Dog Kills Baby Girl In Blackburn
Neighbours claim to have made previous complaints to police about the dog’s behaviour as two people are questioned by police.
Yeah yeah yeah guys, no problem, not a danger dog at all. Wake up and smell the coffee, all the rubbish written above is just subjective opinion. The FACT is that these dogs do kill babies as discovered in Blackburn.
More attack litter the wikipedia page on these dogs.
A 9-year (1979–88) review of fatal dog attacks in the United States determined that, of the 101 attacks in which breed was recorded, pit bulls were implicated in 42 of those attacks (42%).[26] A 1991 study found that 94% of attacks on children by pit bulls were unprovoked, compared to 43% for other breeds.[27] A 5-year (1989–94) review of fatal dog attacks in the U.S. determined that pit bulls and pit bull mixed breeds were implicated in 24 (29%) of the 84 deaths in which breed was recorded.[28]
A 15-year (1991–2005) review of dog attack fatalities investigated by the Kentucky Medical Examiner determined that pit bulls were implicated in 5 of the 11 fatal attacks (45%).[29] Another 15-year (1994–2009) review of patients admitted to a Level I Trauma Center with dog bites determined that pit bulls were most often involved in these attacks: of the 228 patients treated, the breed of dog was recorded in 82 attacks, and of these, 29 (35%) of the attacks were by pit bulls.[30] In 45% of the attacks, the dog belonged to the victim’s family.[30]
A 5-year (2001–05) review of dog attack victims admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia determined that pit bull terriers were implicated in more than half of the bites where breed was identified. Of the 269 patients where breed was identified, 137 (51%) were attacked by pit bulls.[31] The authors wrote:
This website gave me good information about pit bulls for my exit project. I have a neighbor that had a big pit bull that is about 2 years and 1 month old. I don’t think the dog (“Brownie” that’s the dogs name) isn’t dangerous towards me but when I watch Brownie play he usually plays dangerous and rough. But he is a good loving dog I like to be around all the when he comes out to play or get some fresh air.
In my opinion any dog can be aggreesive. it is how it is brought up no animal should be labelled as aggresive. this gives animal a bad reputation and people then expect them to live up to this. jack russels, rotweilers and many other small and larger breeds have attacked and bitten children and adults. but yet there is only four dogs on the dangerous dogs act. and if a pitbull is owned it must be checked up on monthly and by law has to be neutered. yet there is pedophiles and rapists, perverts etc the list goes on that are still intact if dogs need this done so should they its a disgrace. i know many big breeds of dogs that are fantastic with people all ages and sizes. The dangerous dogs act should not be a law. BLAME THE DEED NOT THE BREED. WE DONT BAN PEOPLE WHY BAN DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I found this website about 2 years ago when I was fostering a pit bull. I had heard all the hype about how dangerous they were and asked for advice on what I should be doing to ensure this dog would be suitable for adoption. I also have a rottie and a Carolina dog (American Dingo). I ended up adopting this boy myself b/c he was such a great dog! I call him my clown dog b/c he is always playing and does stunts that make my laugh. I grew such a love for this breed, that I now volunteer on the “Pit Crew” where we work with the stray pit bulls in the shelters to socialize them. Most have been abused, some so severely they have to be PTS. But others can and do become rehabilitated and adopted out to good homes. As an adoption counselor, I advise families with young children not to adopt a pit or ANY large dog as well as teacup breeds. Some do, but they have experience with aggressive breeds (I was raised with a pit and a German Shepard and my kids with a pit and a Chow-Chow). Behaviors such as food aggression, not getting along with other dogs, growling, snapping, etc must be addressed immediately! I agree with not blaming the breed, and people should not be allowed to own any animal that they don’t know how to raise.
PS: A tragic story that happened recently: The husband had a pit bull. After they were married and had two babies, they decided to get a lab. Terriors and labs both tend to be hyper breeds. There were never any issues with the pit bull who watched over the family until one day, the lab was running thru the yard, knocked down the 18month old and stood over her while she was screaming and crying. The pit viewed this as an attack on “his” baby and attacked the lab. The wife, not raised around dogs tried to break up the fight. No one was injured, but the lab suffered bite marks. The pit was taken to the vet and put down the next morning. He was killed for protecting his loved ones, especially the child. My Chow bit the mailman when attempting to hand the mail to my 6 year old son. The Chow was quarantined for 10 days (standard) but after an investigation it was determined that the dog was not at fault since the mailman is supposed to put the mail in the box, not open the door and try to hand it to my son. This same dog attacked a teen in my yard after he had broken into my garage and the teen was sent to the hospital. No charges were filed nor quarantine for the dog. My points: A dog should always be under the control of its owner (retractable leashes should be banned). Owners are responsible for teaching their animals how to behave or taking them to obedience school. Neighbors et al that tease/torment an animal shouldn’t be surprised if the animal is fearful and lashes out at them. A tortured/injured animal is dangerous and the owners prosecuted for abuse. All pets should be neutered/spayed. It not only reduces aggression, but reduces the population of unwanted pets filling the shelters every day. I don’t think its just the luck of the draw that I work with abused/abandoned pit bulls at the shelter and have never been bitten/attacked. IJS
Wow to the person with all the statistics up there at the front Do you know how many people mis identify pit bulls anyway talk about Al line of rubbish. I owned one pitbull one pitbull mix and then American bulldog when I got my dog Bailey the pitbull mix someone had thrown his body into moving traffic into the middle-of-the-road he was six weeks old at the time I knew nothing about pit bulls at this time . And I can say that there’s a lot of media sensationalizing “dangerous” and that even comes down to falsifying statistics or sensationalizing statistics. So I started talking to people and some people said they’re dangerous but the people in that environment he said they were dangerous did not have a nice environment for any dog I went to rescues to view the dogs to see what they were like . So I kept Bailey because they said they were going to kill him because he was a pitbull mix. This is in South Carolina where there is a lot of dogfighting. I reluctantly took him home I was nervous I didn’t know what to think I had one person telling me that they were good and lumpers that told me that they are not good so I was cautious for a long time. While I had in my still continued to do research on the dog. And honestly he was the most loving dog I have ever owned and I’ve owned a lot of dogs. I got a bit. But not by Bailiey not by the pitbull . By the way Bailey was really abused before I got him he had scars all over him and he was emaciated you would think he would be aggressive but he was not towards dogs or humans also in the 80s it was Dobermans in the 90s it was Rottweilers and now it’s pit bulls we as humans tend to pick a breed and calling vicious and then move onto the next breed when people get tired of it it’s all bullshit it is how you raise your animal and you treat them genetics is rarely an issue unless you got some fucked up breeding going on so all those suppose it statistics on how vicious pitbull’s are just recall the 80s and the 90s what it was Dobermans and Rottweilers and tell me that you weren’t thinking the same thing then to
I have had several close friends who owned a pit bull and they were the sweetest dogs that I have known. I have a husky/lab mix and she instantly became great friends with these dogs. I recently just got a pit bull puppy and he is the most friendliest and shy dog. He gets along great with my my older large dog. My vet who sees a lot of pit bulls in our area said that having an older dog of a different breed is actually really great because pit bulls pick up on temperaments of other dogs and they very impressionable dogs. Some people make good points about pit bulls having bad reputations in the news but truth is there are dogs every day who bite and seriously injure humans and other animals but are not reported because they’re not a breed that was raised early on for hunting or gaming. I had a beagle mixed dog who would constantly snap at children and try to bite when they would touch his tail the wrong way, normally it takes something to provoke ALL dogs to attack or retaliate. It takes time to properly train a dog, yelling no and separating them does not train them to be better, it creates hostility and isolation. People who are isolated or “bullied” have the same tendencies, There are many human beings who do very violent and hateful acts towards others… Every form of animal have these tendencies, if you are loving and properly raise these animals they grow up to be smart, loving, affectionate and compassionate mates. It is so sad that people can be so ignorant without even having experience or truly knowing ALL of the facts about them or situations dogs were in. MOST children do not mean to be mean and do not understand how to properly treat animals, this is also the owner’s responsibility to teach. You cannot write every large breed of animal off just because of inexperience or assumptions from others.
Just a little fact… Pits only make up 5% of the dog population in the states… Most other bites from other dog breeds actually go unnoticed or are not reported because they do not have a bad reputation and do not create media buzz. We live off of drama and when people know it will cause hype, they’ll report it. Cockerspaniels and dalmations can be aggressive breeds too but you don’t hear a lot about those breeds. And one other thing, if breeds from the past were taught these traits and they were bred into current generations, wouldn’t it be worth to reteach them traits of love and compassion for future generations rather than just keeping the breed, “deadly” as some people say? If traits can be passed down, it is possible. Stop hating.
Ive been around many dogs my whole life and never once have I seen a pitbull attack anyone ive had more little dogs bight me then a big dog.i work in a animal shelter and you see it all has to do with how the dog is treated and raised . I own a pitbull at home he is my husband companion dog he is a great dog we have never had any problems with him bighting ,jumping,or chew anything up, he don’t bark unless he is told to speak and he wont go bathroom in the yard he waits to go to the park.he is part of the family and we wouldn’t know what to do with out him.
This last April, I was in a friend’s home when her newly adopted pit mix bit me in the side without warning. While I was still recovering from the shock of being attacked, and we were treating my side, he came at me again. This time he tried to go for my face or throat. My friend kept hold of him while I fled the house. His “warning” bite punctured my skin and bruised my rib cage. I had ligament damage, and three months later I still have occasional pain. When meeting the dog, I was told he was an Australian Cattle dog mix and no mention was made of the fact that he was half pit bull. The APA had chosen to focus on the other half of his heritage rather than fully prepare anyone adopting him. His history was unknown, but he’d been found in the street while being attacked by several other dogs.
Since the incident, I have done a lot of research on pit bulls and pit mixes. I think my biggest realization has been that the difference between breeds like pit bulls and less powerful breeds is that when something goes wrong with how they were socialized and a pit bull lashes out, the extent of the injuries is much worse. I think pit bulls are amazing dogs that have been vilified, but I think people are often ill informed and naive about why they are dangerous. They definitely aren’t inherently dangerous, but if a pit bull momentarily loses control, it’s kind of like Superman losing it. I mean I was “nipped” by one, and I still hurt three months later. A pit bull is definitely a dog for an experienced pet owner. It worries me that places like the APA are so trying to adopt out their dogs that they withhold information and only talk about the positives associated with all of the different breeds. I read their breed information on their web site and it didn’t talk about any of the difficulties that can occur with any of the various dog breeds.
I think the bad rap pit bulls get is primarily from yellow journalism, but I also think poorly educated pet owners and desperate pet adoption organizations play a big role too. At this point, I just wish my inexperienced former friend would find a better home for her dysfunctional pit mix before someone else gets attacked again. I also am a huge advocate now of reporting any dog bite to animal control no matter how close you are to the person. I made that mistake once and will never do it again.
All I can say is thank you to all those responsible pit owners out there. Maybe with perseverance you all can turn the tide of misinformation.
I have a pitbull/lab mix puppy that is a little over 2months. Out of the litter she was supposably the calmest little puppy that wasn’t as active, playful and hyper as the others. She was shy, timid and relaxed. After having her at home for about 2weeks she has completely changed. She is constantly biting me and my daughter, I know that she is teething so although I correct the behavior Im not concerned about it being aggressive. However, she now barks at me and my daughter. We can be on the couch watching TV and she can be on the floor playing with her toys and she will all of a sudden stop and stare at either me or my daughter and bark. When she barks her tail is not wagging and she lunges at us, it seems aggressive. I have had other puppies before and this is the first that i have encountered this. I dont think she wants attention or to be played with because she even does it when im playing with her. she gets lots of exercise as well. Im hoping this is normal, but because I havent had this experience with past puppies and the fact that she is a pitbull mix im a little concerned. She has bit my daughter a few times when my daughter has taken a toy away from her (my daughters toys) or shoes and she has broken her skin. She bit her in the face twice and broke skin. Should I be concerned? What about this random bark?
I was walking my German Shepherd in my local village yesterday evening; my dog on a lead and came to the bottom of a track. Within two seconds of my deciding just which direction I would take – either left or right……this creature came charging at us from across the road, without an owner and not on a lead. It proceeded to attack my German Shepherd, completely unprovoked, around his neck and rear end. My German Shepherd was fighting to protect himself and me,,,,it was generally growling loudly and jumping up. My dog was still on the lead and I managed to keep turning him around so that the Pitbull couldn’t get a go hold of any particular one area. The Pitbull then proceed to jump up my right thigh and puncture it with his teeth. After a few minutes of me shouting and in tears with pain I managed to kick the dog…the owner WALKED across the road from his house and somehow, I really don’t know how, because I was in utter shock and disbelief at the attack. The owner took his dog inside, meanwhile 5 people gathered around me; checked my dog out; rang for an ambulance and got me a drink of water. The owner nor his wife apologised…..I have since reported the incident to the Police and spent yesterday evening in A&E having my wounds treated which are now going to result in permanent scarring. It was a really traumatic experience…….my survival instinct kicked in to protect my dog and people were so helpful. I will be pushing for prosecution…….imagine the consequences if another adult had been walking their dog but with a small child…….it doesn’t bear thinking about! I am a responsible dog owner…..if you own one of these dangerous dogs you NEED to be responsible and put them on a lead.
Jules
I am a dog lover. I am the proud owner of a sweet middle aged Siberian Husky, Recently I brought home a 6 week old pit bull puppy. I gave him an enormous amount of love, brought him to puppy school, walked him daily and rewarded his good behavior with hugs and kisses. I had him fixed and took him to the vet for regular check ups. When the pit was about 6 months old, I witnessed in horror, the pit attack my more passive husky with a severe bite to the neck. The pit would not release his jaw and it took two of us to lift up the pit bull off my husky. The husky was hurt and if I was not there, the husky would have died. I never believed the myths about pit bulls but now I wish I could shout to the world, stay away! No one could ever convince me that this attack might have been justified. I seriously could not release his jaw and it was deadly.
Hi, so a few weeks back, we were searching for a new dog to add to our family. We currently have an 8 year old, 9 year old, two 11 year olds and a 13 year old (kids, not dogs).
In addition, we have a 2 year old Boxer and four cats, yes, full house!
We wanted another dog to be a playmate for our boxer, versus chasing the cats around the house.
We decided to search for boxer or american bull dog breeds, and found a “mix” that was advvertised on some dog finder web site. We went, met the lady, look at “harley” (our name given to him) and purchased for $350 this dog that we thought was a boxer/american bull dog mix.
We tried calling the lady for the shot records as she forgot them, and apparently the phone number was no good, and the phone sold to someone. LOVELY!
So, we take Harley to the vet for a checkup and shots…..the vet says “we’re pretty sure he is a pit bull”. Shoot….
My girlfriend has always been nervous of them….I always like them, thought they were great looking dogs, friends that have had them had pit bulls that were nice and gentle….but it still makes us nervous.
it’s the stereotype that he’ll be “dangerous”. i feel that a big part of harley will come from his socialization, care, love, etc. in our home…..but it still makes us very pissed off that this woman lied about the breed to sell off her pitbull that I presume would have been difficult to sell in the first place and lying about the breed makes it easier. Our fault in a way….since this was a “no papers” dog….but for $350 we felt we were getting a steal.
Bill
I have a 7 year old pit bull named Curtis and a 7 month old pitbull name Lucia Curtis wants nothing to do with her when she’s out and playing he’ll run to the bedroom and won’t come out until she put in her cage I really want them to get along I need expert advice what should I do?
I own a pitbull/husky. There is a lot of talk about how pit bulls and pit bull mixes are inherently dangerous. I am willing to bet my pay checks that the people making these accusations have never owned a pit bull breed. A lot of people like to throw statistics about how many pit bulls have bit people and fatally mauled others to death. Some of the responses posted above are very informative. These people more than likely own or have owned a pit bull. What I know is that most people like to be heard, so they get online and start posting biased facts to make themselves feel better not really knowing anything. One response references statistics from reviews over certain time spans. For those of you who look at those numbers and think wow, let me explain a couple things you might not know. First of all, the term pit bull actually refers to more than one breed. Hmmm, that may or may not have to do with the numbers being higher than others. Also, of those attacks, how many were being irritated or provoked? That information is not posted because the person who wanted to hear themselves is ignorant. Not to mention anyone can say what they want on the internet. For the smart people or those who do not know better, we realize that your stats are not credible, especially without proper citation. Jackass. Here is another fact, that person is an idiot. The truth is it is all how they are raised. Are the offspring of human boxers and mma fighters inherently more dangerous because one of their parents is aggressive for a living? If someone comes to the decision to rescue a pit bull from a shelter, they take that risk. They did not raise or develop that dog personally. The same can be said for any other breed. I have had daily direct contact with dogs just about every day of my life of all different breeds and have never once been bit by a pit bull. The reason? I am educated and know how to read body language and because I embrace the sort of “attacks” I have encountered with pit bulls because they involve wet kisses. I also understand that people correlate aggression “inherited” with protection. Like ALL breeds, dogs like to claim their “territory” whether it be the backyard or the house. Because of their pack nature, children and people are a part of their pack. Would you not protect yourself or yours if you saw a situation in which you perceived someone was attacking someone you love and adore? Finally, I just want to reinforce a fact that has been mentioned in most of the articles. Because of the hype focused on the breed right now, some owners and victims do not report incidences because it is not a pit bull. You rarely hear about german shepherds and labs attacking people but you damn sure can look it up. I have a passion for animals and my goal is to educate the ignorant. If anyone has any questions or comments, please respond, I will happily share my knowledge and listen to what you have to say, especially if you have owned or own a pit bull breed. I am a vet by the way. I look forward to responses.
I recently took in a dog who presents as pit/lab. He took to me like he already knew me, was starved and hand shy. He listens very well and is very loving! He has some typical training issues but has adapted well to his environment. I have 2 male roommates, one is 22 and the other 19. He wants to play rough with the 22 year old but we have discouraged this by telling him no and use pet only tactics. The 19 year old is a layed back new age hippie type. My dog tries to bite him all the time and growls at him! Now I know dogs sence is keen but this kid is harmless! Yesterday we were working with my dog and my roommate was on the floor petting him. All seemed fine until he got up. My dog attacked his hand biting him and drawing blood! I immediately grabbed his collar and yelled NO BITE! My dog became submissive and layed down! What can I do to prevent anything else from happening? I see a good dog here and I’m thinking maybe a young man mistreated him?? Help!!
I had adopted a lot of pit bulls in m day. I’m only 19 now, but picking up and caring for animals was my thing. I had gotten a pit bull from a litter down the street from my home when I was 15, and I named her Tenma. Tenma had two brothers, one’s name was Capone (a type of popular cigar in my town) owned by two young brothers (older than me but still young) who were a little mislead, and her other brother named R2, I can only guess based on the movie Star Wars. As we raised our pups, Tenma was growing strong and stayed at my heels. I let her go outside and play with children and sleep in bed with me, I taught her how to climb stairs and let her watch TV (animal planet was her favorite) and she was sweeter than candy. Capone was losing his fur and growing thin, he was getting violent and rough, but a little before this I let Tenma play with him. They said he was “growing in his mane” Pit bulls don’t have manes… R2, when I went to visit him was reprimanded for letting me pet him because the owner (a friend of mine) says: never let a stranger pet your dog, the dog gets too friendly and won’t protect you”. Yeah I can understand why you would think that, but it’s not right! Your dog will protect you if he loves you, and he would love you no matter what! A lady across the street from me (she was a frail white lady and we lived in a poor area, mostly young black folks like myself, so she was often scared to leave) She had addressed me for letting my dog play with her brother. I was a nice kid, rescuing animals and asking her the number to a local shelter, and helping her feed the strays, but she must have thought I was letting them fight!
Point being, my pit bull out of the three lived longer and was readopted after I moved, she is now happy and healthy and can live with small children, Capone died from an illness after maltreatment, and R2 was put down for attacking other dogs and people. One fight I had to stop myself!
I had other breeds before, on was a terrier mix, and the other a pure breed poodle. Now that poodle was evil and liked to attack everyone even his mate, who he would attack for her food while she was pregnant (I didn’t own her at that time, so I couldn’t stop this) When I had come home from a trip I received both as a gift. Arrietty (what I named the terrier mix) was sweet and demure, Kane the poodle was violent and rowdy. We had decided to give him to the pound, he was far past training because of his age, but Arrietty seemed to be doing well so we kept her.
You need to learn how to read stats, you can’t just list “X number of dog bites”…there are MORE “pits” (not a breed!) than any other dog so NO DUH there are more bites by theme but they are NOT dangerous!
stats alone do NOT reveal truth…you left out the CONTEXT of those stats!
When we divide the population by the fatal attacks, we can get a percentage based on the dogs probability of fatally attacking a human.
Pit Bulls: .00125 %
Rottweilers: .00433 %
German Shepherds: .00217%
Chow: .00333%
WELL, it would seem the Pit Bull is at the bottom of the list. 4 times as many Rottweilers, 2 times as many German Shepherds, and 3 times as many Chows are involved in Fatal Attacks based on the population percentage. It is only logical that if there are more Pit Bulls there would be more attacks.
https://defendpitbulls.com/pit-bull-attack-statistics/
Oi, Reality. Seems like someone’s living in 1991. Pit Bulls are some of the sweetest dogs around, and I have never seen one attack anything. A dog’s behaviour is decided by its owner. They can learn and change. That dog you said attacked and killed a baby was probably handled by violent, mistreating owners before its current owners bought it. Take this story, for example, where a pitbull saves a boy from a swarm of bees: https://m.nydailynews.com/news/national/hero-pit-bull-saves-8-year-old-boy-deadly-bee-attack-article-1.1923630 or this one, where a pit bull saves its guardian from attack: https://www.dogheirs.com/larne/posts/4511-heroic-pit-bull-saves-woman-from-machete-attack . You see, the pros outweigh the cons. Deal with it.
Believe me, I understand that not all Pit Bulls are necessarily aggressive. However, my small Border Collie was mauled by a pit last night. She had to be stitched up and had severely damaged muscle tissue. I have an extremely submissive dog. The attack was unprovoked and without any warning of any kind.
Genetics do play a factor. No matter how well trained my border collie is, she still wants to herd. I have trained her pretty well to drop and lie down on command to keep her safe and in control whenever I take her off leash. There’s nothing wrong with this. It’s the breed. But why is everyone so comfortable talking about breed specific traits right up until the moment we bring up Pit Bulls. Many lines of Pit Bulls (which include several breeds really) were in fact bred to fight without warning and without stopping. They were bred to kill. If I can talk without retribution to any dog owner or trainer out there about my border collie’s breed tendencies, why not about Pits?
Again, I realized that not all Pit Bulls are aggressive. And maybe many of them end up in home with strong handlers who raise the dog appropriately. But we all know, dogs end up in all sorts of home situations. Any breed. The problem is that Pits are far more dangerous when they bite because they have been bred differently. Sure a border collie could bite someone. It happens. But how often do you hear of someone seriously injured or dead because of a border collie bite.
Pit Bulls are bred to hold on at all costs and to bite in a way that will seriously damage other dogs. So, when Pits attack, it’s no small thing. My dog was extremely lucky last night, but I am still horrified by what happened. The dog grabbed her just below the jaw and shook her hard and repeatedly for almost a full minute before we were able to get it to let go. My vet told me that the dog was likely going for the throat and that she was very lucky not to have been killed.
Even now, I don’t believe Pits are “bad”, but genetics matter. Of course they do. Animals should always be respected for what they are. They are not people. To ignore the dangers of Pit Bulls is to harm the breed in the long run because there will be no legislation surrounding ownership and breeding of the dogs. That is no benefit to those dogs who will continue to be bred by anyone who desires it (whether criminals or reputable breeders) and owned by anyone regardless of whether they are appropriate to raise the dog properly. Instead, accidents will continue to happen because we all want to believe that they are simply being singled out and are just the same as any other dog.
My border collie is a completely different dog with different instincts from a Labrador Retriever. Pit Bulls are different too.
I tell you what some people are really stupid!! Me and my partner have two pit bulls, a rotty , and two bull mastiffs. Not once have any of my dogs ever attacked anybody or anything, from my older Pit to my youngest Bull Mastiff. However the family down the rad have just had to put down two of their Yorkshire terriers and also still have three tiny little ankle biting Jack Russell’s! In fact it was MY PITBULL that stopped the cows horrid dog from attacking my son!
Then again not everybody is as loving and caring as us to realise that all dogs ACTUALLY need is a loving home! My oldest Pitbull is nearly on his way out at 14, and he has never bitten anybody. we rescued him when he was 5 and instantly fell in love. People need to stop moaning and get on with your lives, not criticising families who LOVE their dog… After all a dog is ALWAYS part of the family!
I’m so sorry to hear about the attack on your dog. You’re correct that there are inherent tendencies that have been bred into dogs to match what people want those dogs to do. However, even in a specific breed, the tendencies are exhibited to different extents by individuals of that breed. Even in dogs intensively bred for a very specific purpose like racing greyhounds, most individuals don’t exhibit both the drive and speed necessary to succeed in racing. One of the issues with “pit bulls” is that they are not a breed. There are American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and others, but most dogs that are identified by body type as “pit bulls” are not pure bred, nor have they been selectively bred to fight, “latch on” when they bite, or be specifically aggressive to other dogs. In studies of fighting dogs seized and evaluated for rehabilitation, only about 30% were inherently dog aggressive, and none were aggressive toward people – which is what you would expect since dogs that were not completely non-aggressive to people would not be bred. In the “pit bull” debate, the differences between individual dogs who have certain physical characteristics is lost in the desire to easily identify which dogs might bite. The answers aren’t easy. The problem is a combination of an individual dog’s basic characteristics coupled with it’s living situation. Just as we can’t prevent crime by looking at people to determine who is a criminal, we can’t prevent dog bites by looking at dogs’ body or head type. It’s about behavior and that individual. There are many lovely and completely non-aggressive dogs who are labeled “dangerous” because of what they look like, and many dangerous dogs who look non-threatening. It’s not what the dog looks like, but how the dog behaves and how the owner handles behavior issues that determines whether a dog is dangerous.
Pit bulls aren’t bad dogs or a bad breed they are one of the nicest dogs. The only reason they act the way they do is because of the way they are trained, Its the owners fault not the dog.
I own a pit bull and 2 Siberian Huskies, breeds which have been in news articles regarding dog/dog or dog/human attacks and to my surprise while watching our local news this week there was a report of a 1 yr old Maltese cross who jumped up into a stroller and seriously mauled a 8 month olds face…. Horrible as that is all people need to be educated on the fact that dogs are animals , have teeth and can bite , inflict icing serious harm – no matter what the breed!!
And in defense of the pit bulls:
PEOPLE buy them, abuse them, cut their ears off, and make them fight to kill other dogs … And they are the ones you’re afraid of??? I’m more afraid of the humans that think that’s ok….
I own 2 pit bulls they are so sweet my sister can ride them. Plus they are only mean if the owner is mean.
Statistics don’t lie. “Pit bulls make up only 6% of the dog population, but they’re responsible for 68% of dog attacks and 52% of dog-related deaths since 1982.” Source via:
https://time.com/2891180/kfc-and-the-pit-bull-attack-of-a-little-girl/
It’s common sense people. How do border collies and aussies instinctively know how to herd? Selective breeding. How do pointers know where to point? Selective breeding. Why do pit bulls attack people and dogs randomly, even when they come from good families/good training? Selective breeding.
The author of this article is a hypocrite too. The author owns 2 herding dogs (Aussies). Herding dogs are the antithesis of aggressive dogs like pit bulls. Herding dogs were selectively bred to be nonviolent. Any time a herding dog attacked and mauled livestock or humans, that dog was killed along with it’s entire line. The farm owners couldn’t afford to lose livestock to an uncontrollable dog.
Seriously though, what is the point of pit bulls? After seeing the above statistics, are you honestly willing to risk your family’s safety on a pit bull when you could get any of a number of other dogs that are non-violent and non-aggressive?
I just don’t understand all of these comments from people who keep saying it’s the owner that makes the pit bull bad. The pit that attacked and seriously injured me was not owned by an abusive owner. It was loved and cherished by its owners and was receiving obedience training by an excellent dog trainer. Yet, it attacked me without warning, and while being boarded, it attacked another dog without warning. This pit bull was not abused.
I’m sure there are some great individual pit bulls out there but I would be scared to ever take a chance with one. I am lucky that the one that attacked me didn’t kill me because after he attacked my side, he tried to rip out my throat.
Also, just because you personally have had great experiences with your pit bull doesn’t mean your dog is safe around others. The dog that hurt me was never aggressive with it’s owners but attacked me because I stood up from a chair.
Don’t assume you understand an entire breed just because you’ve owned one of them. I’ve been seriously injured by a pit bull, and I’m still on the fence about them.
Unfortunately, “statistics” are used to lie all the time. So much so that one of my college text books was “How to Lie with Statistics” by Darrell Huff, a book aimed at helping people see how statistics can be used to mislead them. The Time Magazine article referenced was so poorly researched, they printed this article the following week https://time.com/2927759/the-problem-with-people-not-pit-bulls/. “Pit bull”, as the term is used to identify dogs who have bitten, is a physical look, not a breed selectively bred for specific characteristics. In Aurora, CO, where the “pit bull” ban was upheld in yesterday’s election, 76% of dogs identified as “pit bulls” tested genetically to NOT contain the DNA of the actual breeds the law was intended to ban (from Julie A. Heckman, Aurora Asst. City Attny). The argument that other dogs are non-violent and non-aggressive and banning “pit bulls” will solve the problem of serious dog bites is dangerously inaccurate. Any breed of dog can bite – even “herding dogs”. We see them in our practice. Some of the dogs who bite look like “pit bulls”. Most do not. We need to judge dogs on their behavior, not on their “look”.
Statistics
@beatty123
Ok fine, let’s ignore statistics. Wouldn’t want a pesky thing like statistics to disprove your point. Even though, study after study finds pit bulls and rottweilers to be more dangerous than other dogs (like this one: https://www.kirotv.com/news/news/pit-bulls-8-and-half-times-more-likely-attack/ngtc5/). Let’s also ignore this chart: https://www.dogsbite.org/pdf/9-year-dog-bite-fatality-chart-dogsbiteorg.pdf.
The time magazine article you referenced was a counterpoint (written by someone from the American Pit Bull Association). It wasn’t meant to detract from the article I referenced – Time was just trying to show a different point of view.
What about the dozens of personal stories written above about people that were attacked by pit bulls for no apparent reason when they were raised in loving families with proper obedience? What about the people who now have kids with maimed faces or have lost a family one? Let’s talk to them about how safe pit bulls are.
What about societal news? How many stories do you hear of fatal attacks or maimings by border collies or Australian shepherds? I haven’t heard any. Again and again, though, you hear about fatal attacks or maimings by pit bulls and rottweilers.
What about risk? Ok, great, you have a friend who has a pit bull who has never attacked anybody, or you do yourself. What about that guy whose grandpa lived till he was 80, smoked 2 packs a day and was healthy as an ox? Are you going to pick up smoking now because some people had good experiences? No, of course not; because studies, evidence, and statistics have shown that smoking is bad for you. Are you willing to risk your safety, your children’s safety on an UNCERTAINTY like that? I know I’m not and it’s irresponsible of pit bull and Rottweiler owners to risk MY FAMILY’s safety as well. My wife was attacked by a pit bull just last week while she was jogging around the neighborhood. Luckily she was uninjured because she was able to kick it in the head. We live in a fantastic neighborhood and never would have expected something like this to happen. Would you carry around a loaded gun that sometimes fires for no reason? No, of course not, you’d buy a gun that has a safety and is reliable. That’s what you are doing by owning a pit bull – carrying around an unreliable, unpredictable loaded gun.
What about physical and behavioral breeding? Pit bulls were bred for their ability to bite and hold on. Later on, they were bred for their fighting ability versus other dogs. The strongest fighters were bred with other strong fighters. They were also bred with terriers to be faster and more agile, so not only have they been behaviorally bred to be strong fighters, but their physical characteristics are suited for fighting as well.
Lastly, what about their fighting prowess? I’ll grant that some dogs are statistically known to be more violent and aggressive. How come we don’t see those dogs on the news though? Because people don’t die and/or get maimed from those attacks. I read that dachshunds are statistically the most aggressive dogs. They tear a chunk out of your shin? BIG WOOP. Pit bulls have been bred to go after necks/throats. THEY HAVE BEEN BRED TO MAIM/KILL! It’s in their genetics.
Why would you want to own a dog that could at the drop of a hat, for no apparent reason (see above stories), attack and maim you when you could own a dog breed that has been bred to be nonviolent? Sounds masochistic to me.
Pitbulls can be dangerous if you don’t train them right or if their ancestors we fighting dogs then maybe they would be aggresive but most likely not. Plus it depends on how the owner treats the dog for it to be aggresive with people or other animals. I had a pitbull and she loves us kids and never hurt anybody. Plus whenever someone tried to hurt us she would protect us and growl thats all she ever did, it was a warning to leave us alone or she would hurt them. After she growled and they left us alone everything would be fine.
It’s sad that people have bred an animal to be aggressive. My friend had two pit bulls and her and her husband love them so much. They treat them very well and obviously never have trained them to be aggressive. They were very sad because one of them attacked and killed the other one. It bit off it’s leg and due to the injury it died. Now the one that is still alive (the one that attacked) barks a lot at me when I come over, which is not uncommon for a dog. She also sleeps with one eye open when I’m in the room and watches me with it. It is unsettling because I feel like she is watching me because she perceives me as a threat (which I don’t know why she would). They sometimes give her a sedative (leftovers from the one who died from the attack) and after taking it she is much more calm and doesn’t bark or growl at me constantly. However, I know it’s because of the medicine. I feel sad because I feel that she is more discontent and angry/aggressive than any other pet dog I have known. Usually dogs seem very happy to live in a house, but she seems like she has a lot of negative energy. I wish that people would stop breeding pit bulls because the part of their genes that make them more aggressive make it more difficult for the dogs to be happy and fit in easily to a domestic life.
I believe pit bulls are an extrodanary breed. I have one my self who is 3yrs about to turn 4, my question for all of you who dislike pit bulls is: Why don’t you like them? Is it because you think there genetically mean, hurtful, or aggressive? I do believe these animals deserve a chance to be recognized as more than just a breed who attack people or a breed who are just mean and hurtful. No. Pits don’t deserve to be beaten or abused or criticized. To you they may just be animals. Or they may just be another stupid dog or breed to you, but to me there beautiful animals who get abused abandoned and even killed everyday. And why do the deserve that? They don’t. No body deserves that. These animals aren’t bad. Or as I’ve heard “the dog of the devil”. Why would anyone do something so horrible to anyone? Or anything? A few summers ago I was riding my bike to go to the park with some friends. This lady had her new pit bull puppy out in her yard and her Scottie. Me and my friends wanted yo pet her pit so she called her Scottie inside because she said he was mean. We got to pet her pit and then went off to the park. On our way home we say her puppy still in her yard. Her Scottie was out again but she wasn’t there and I had forgotten what she said about her dog and I went to pet her pit and the SCOTTIE BIT ME not the pit. And last summer me and my friend were walking to 7-11 and we say this pit laying on a porch with no food or waster. We went to 7-11 and I got a bottle of water and a bowl just for him.
There are many groups dedicated to the idea that “pit bulls” are dangerous, and they often influence news stories. However, experts in both statistics and dog behavior come up with a different view of the situation. We will continue to cite well-research, scientifically sound sources and experts. https://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/AVMA-CDC_Statement.pdf, https://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/dog-fighting/breed-specific-legislation, https://avsabonline.org/uploads/position_statements/Breed-Specific_Legislation-download-_8-18-14.pdf
Raised and trained German Shepherd Dogs for 30 years. Very protective and aggressive breed as they have been bred to be. I was also a long distance runner, training on country roads for many, many miles, encountering various dogs. I was threatened, but using my dog training knowledge stood my ground on all assaults. On each occasion over the years the dog in question responded by retreating. That was until my encounter with a pitbull, which never blinked an eye to my Alfa commands and instead locked onto my left calf. I screamed and beat this dog till finally it released and it’s owner was able to gain control of it. I was fortunate, it didn’t do extensive muscle damage. It was a life changer. I now walk and jog with a small handgun. I made the owner a promise after the Sheriff’s visit I called upon was complete that in the future I would be armed and would shoot the animal dead if it attacked me again. The Sheriff told me I was within my rights to defend myself. So with my Carry Permit I walk armed to protect myself from a breed of dog that has been bred over and over and over again for only one purpose to fight and kill. Just as Border Collies are bred to herd, as blood hounds are bred to track, as most all utility dogs have been bred for specific purposes so goes the pitbull. Go to the CDC and get the real stats on this breed and it’s history of violence. I for one will not go into a home with one present and recently exited a dog park where one was present and got very aggressive with my new lab pup. A dozen or more dogs and the aggressive one was a pit. Dogs are very instinctive animals and bred to make the best use of those for us humans. Unfortunately the Pitbull has not been bred for a best use. Anyone who owns one should be required to register as an owner and their homeowner insurers should be made aware of ownership. More and more insurers as requiring an additional premium for owning this breed. We are campers and many RV resorts and camps don’t allow this breed on their property.
I grew up with a male pitbull when I was a kid and he was a puppy not once did he ever show aggression towards us kids he was very loving and of course protective over our family if he didn’t like someone he didn’t bite them he just growled but never attacked. so if I get a pitbull puppy you all are saying it will kill my kids?
You people discriminating against pit bulls, is like the racism we face here in the world today. You see a breed of dogs and automatically become stereotypical. All you hear is the bad and focus on that. Do you ever hear of how they save people and save children? No. Only how they kill them. There was a story of a pit bull who killed a two year old boy for coming near a marijuana crop that he was TRAINED to protect. That’s the case in most situations. These dogs being trained and raised to be aggressive. Just as if a child is raised to fight and be aggressive, he will. SAME CONCEPT. Open your eyes and realize it’s the person who raises them and the way they are brought up to be. It has NOTHING to do with the breed in general.
“Reality”: “Neighbours claim to have made previous complaints to police about the dog’s behaviour as two people are questioned by police.” This shows a history of bad habits and behavior. Doesn’t matter what breed, every dog, if put in the wrong situation (to include years of mishandling) can and will bite.
Find me one story of a well trained and cared for Pit bull that suddenly “turned” on their owner or “lashed out” and hurt someone. Truth is, all these stories are the same, all the dogs had some history of neglect/isolation/abuse/mishandling/zero discipline/ and no legit training.
Pit bulls are not dangerous unless you train them to be dangerous or they they were born wild. The reason the pit bull killed that baby was because it was either trained to be dangerous or it was a wild animal. So you guys are stupid and need to get real. The only reason they have such dangerous body parts is because they were originally bred to herd bulls. Hence the name Pit BULL.
Unfortunately, dogs can bite for many reasons in addition to being trained to attack, or being feral. One of the most common reasons for dogs of any breed to bite is due to fear. Dogs of any breed can be fearful enough to bite and do serious damage. Children have been harmed or even killed by dogs of many different breeds – even small breeds. Leaving any dog unsupervised with an infant or small child is dangerous. Unfortunately, people become polarized about pit bulls, with some claiming they are never aggressive and others claiming they are always aggressive. As with most things in life, the truth lies in the middle. Some dogs are aggressive, and some of those dogs look like what we call “pit bulls”. But attempting to use what a dog looks like as an easy method to determine whether it is aggressive or not is completely unreliable. You will erroneously identify many normal dogs as dangerous, and more importantly, miss identifying many truly dangerous dogs. Observing behavior and body language and looking at a dog’s previous history much more important than breed in evaluating whether a dog is unsafe.
My pit bull attacked a 7 year old for no reason. He was raised in a loving home. With children and other animals. He was pretty spoiled and no aggression problems, in fact he was the worst guard dog ever. I was standing right in front of my pit bull when he attacked the girl. She didn’t do anything, she was just walking by. My German Shepherd then stepped in to get my pit bull off the girl. What could had caused this? He was a family dog, raised with love and socialized. I Dont believe that pit bulls are bad dogs it just bothers me on why did my pit behaved this way?
I’m so sorry to hear of your dog’s attack on the girl and hope she wasn’t seriously injured. We as humans are often unfamiliar with the signs a dog gives that they are fearful, upset, or aggressive. It’s impossible to say from the information available what your dog was feeling and why he attacked the child. Usually when people describe this type of situation, there were behaviors present that would have indicated the dog was uncomfortable, but the owner wasn’t aware that these were warning signs, or because the dog had never bitten before, didn’t think they indicated a problem in their dog’s behavior. The issue is not breed, it’s behavior, and being able to recognize how a dog may react in a given situation.
I would like to response to Andrew who said, “Find me one story of a well trained and cared for Pit bull that suddenly “turned” on their owner or “lashed out” and hurt someone. ” Have you actually read all of this thread before making your statements? I understand that many people want to support these dogs, and that’s fine, but please read what everyone has to say rather than making snap judgements. Obviously, dog who have been raised kindly with no history of abuse do in fact hurt people including their owners.
And in response to Jeremy, of course a pit bull won’t necessarily hurt your kids.
This is not a black and white issue. Not every pit bull will become a raging monster. They are not monsters in the first place. They are dogs. Yes, any dog can become aggressive and bite or kill someone. And pit bulls are not “bad”. The point is simply to acknowledge that they have historically been bred to kill. This is what gives them powerful jaws and also what gives them different behavioral traits.
This breed has been put into a terrible position because of humans. I would like to see the breed managed in a way that will encourage breeding for greater docility. My dog was almost killed by a pit bull. She is a very small border collie and was 10 years old when it happened. She didn’t growl or threaten the other dog while he sniffed her face and then grabbed her and shook her so hard her muscles were torn completely from the bone. She’s very lucky to be alive.
I hope nobody will be offended if I comment that Pointers tend to go into a point position every time they see wild game. They are not trained to do it. They are bred to do it instinctively. Hopefully, you don’t think me racist for saying this about the breed. Bloodhounds will follow a scent for miles. As an owner you have to be careful about this because they can end up miles from home. Not because they are bad and ran away, but simply because they were bred to do this. Every breed website will tell you about the breed and how they are inherently different from other dogs because of their breeding. It’s always stressed to potential buyers to understand the specific instincts of each type of dog due to its BREEDING. Is every breeder/trainer who states these breed characteristics racist? Of course not.
Pit bulls are a touchy subject because many people own nice dogs and don’t want to hear anything bad about them. They are dogs. Let’s not make this a moral issue. Animals are animals. They are not good or bad. However, they are different. I think anyone who wants to own a pit bull needs to be able to respectfully acknowledge the breed’s characteristics and breeding in order to be a responsible owner and manage that dog effectively. To say the breed is not more aggressive than many breeds, and can be owned by anyone, is ignorant. These dogs should ONLY be owned or bred by people who are responsible enough to understand the dogs and how they need to be managed to ensure safety for the dogs and for everyone around them.
Unfortunately there was an 18 month old that was left with the 2 family dogs in the sunroom, the child was bitten to death and unfortunately, there was a man trying to resuscitate a man that had a heart attack and the owner’s family pitbull thought someone was trying to hurt his owner so the pit killed the man trying to help, there were then 2 dead men. All unfortunate, but true and I have to ask is it worth it?
I won’t even entertain reading most of these comments after I saw the first two. Pitbulls are not bad! a direct qoute from cesAR Millan him self “in the 70s they blamed dobermans, in the 80s they blamed german Shepards, in the 90s they blamed rotwillers, now they blame the pitbull” words to live by. I my self own a pitbull along with a german Shepard at that However this is about pitbulls. My pitbull is not a monster she is a loving, caring and awesome girl. I recently posted a video that amazed many people. My pitbull was paying tug o war with me strongly shaking the rope I got down on all fours put my face in her face while she was still shaking the toy and growling at it and you know what my oh so vicious pit bull did? She dropped her toy and attacked me with kisses. Any dog can attack. Any dog can kill if over a certain wieght. You people saying all pit bulls are bad is as bad as saying all black people steal. Everyone has the potential to be bad including animals however it is NOT due to a breed or race. So maybe you all should wake up and smell the roses.
Also for the people saying you can’t base the breed on just your dog how can you base the entire breed on just a few attacks? Ps reality your stats are wrong please go to a educated site that has credibility and re type those. Also Im missing a working finger due to a attack you know what kind of dog attacked me? A black lab! I am a pitbull activist and have been around more pits then most peoole will ever be including rescues who haven’t been behavior tested yet and I get attacked by a black lab that I wasn’t even testing or trying to be near him he just attacked. I believe if pit bulls were dangerous I would have been attacked by at least one out of the 100 I have been around. My child will grow up cuddling with my pit, my child will be left in the same room with my pit when I go into another room and I can garentee you god willing my dog is still with us in 5 years, you Can contact me and I can say my child is fine
Mean dogs,regardless of the breed,are not born,they are created.
The problem is,that word ‘owner’. Treat a dog like furniture instead of a family menber,then you get what you get.
I hold a firm belief that a dog is only as mean,vicious,and anti social as the people they live with.
I personally find the negative attitudes toward this highly misunderstood, misrepresented,often maligned, and improperly identified class of dog to be a sad commentary on where we are as a global society.The simple fact that pit bull isn’t a specific breed but a class of dog such as hound or herding dog that includes several breeds shows part of the problem.The small mindedness required to discriminate against these dogs is no different than the small mindedness that results in racism,sexual prejudices, and much of the discrimination between socio-economic differences not to mention the battles between religious fundementalists of all kinds.Guess it would be ridiculous to expect people that can’t accept one another as a species to under stand the complexities of this issue.