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.
First and foremost I would like to point out that parts of this article are INCORRECT!!! The first being that pitbulls were bred to fight other dogs. THIS IS WRONG!! Pit bulls were not bred to fight any thing, but rather bred to bring in the BULLS! Thus the name Pit Bull. Pit bulls were bred and raised to bring the bull in to mate with the cows. You know the ring in a bulls nose? That ring was used by the pit bull to drag the bull in to the pit to inseminate the cows. As for people who have been attacked by pit bulls or any other dog for that reason, I am sensitive to your pain. I have been attacked by a dog before, actually two. Niether was a pit bull. A chow and a dalmation were the culprits. Its not the dog, its the owner is only somewhat correct. I currently own a pit bull. I love her very much and she loves me, but the person I rescued her from beat her bad. To this day she is still very nervous and I have had her 3 years. Unless you have had a pit bull from a puppy and know what it has been through in its life, dont judge. I bet if you were beaten half to death by a man you might be scared of them forever. Ever heard of flash backs? Dogs have them to. Just hope your not around when the flash back flashes. And that goes for any animal, humans included.
I have recently rescued a pittbull thrown on the side of the road. She was starved to death and could tell she has been mistreated. With a lot of watching her behavior and observing her she seems to do well with the my seven year old. It is true never estimate what any animal can do. Teach your children not to grab or pull on any dog. I never underestimate a dogs reaction or any animal. I use to have a horse who was aggressive with people he did not know. Animals have personalities like we do. Some good days and bad…. but in my opinion this is the second rescue dog I have had and they have done really well to adjust to a loving family. Still again keep your eyes open and use common sense.
Pitbulls are the nicest dogs ever it is the owners that are bad it is not the pitbulls fualt it is peoples. Did you no that on the “Danger” scale the Dalmation and German Shepered are above Pitbulls. If you hate pitbulls you hate people because peolpe are the reason people hate Pitbulls. DON’T BLAME THE PITBULLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I see many pit owners talking about how gentle and loving their dogs are. This is less reassuring than you might think, considering that most of the dogs that have attacked or bitten me* are dogs that “never bite” if you listen to their owners tell it.
*Between being a paperboy as a kid, and an avid runner/walker/hiker as an adult, I encounter a lot of dogs.
It must be mentioned that a pitbull is a type of dog and not necessarily the breed. There are many dogs that appear to be pitbulls but might be pitbull type dogs which get blamed for a lot of the attacks you see in the news. There is also the issue that pitbulls tend to be bred with other breeds of dogs. Many you will find dogs that have have been rescued and their total breed mix is impossible to figure out. When this pitbull looking dog bites someone then the new reads pitbull attack only. I have seen dogs that obviously appear to be pitbulls but may have a mix of American Bulldog, English bulldog, Mastiff, Rottweiler, Labrador, chow, etc. Some of these dogs are more apt to bite a person than a good quality bred pitbull terrier. Some of the pitbulls you see around your neighborhood are in fact not put bred dogs. I have had 5 pitbulls, My current pitbull is definitely a work in progress. He looks all pitbull but I can tell you he is pitbull mutt. My concern with this dog is not that he is a pitbull but what his mix is which might make him act more like a guardian breed which in my opinion would be a serious fault. If my dog bites someone then the press will read pitbull when in fact he is a mutt whose pitbull (physical features)are dominant. This mutt might now have the stability of a good pitbull but still have the power and strength of one which I believe is extremely dangerous. Not that mixes are all bad either. I have owned a pitbull weimaraner who is extremely friendly and loving with kids, and adults. I have also seen a pitbull Rottie cross that was raised from a puppy by a family and ended up growling at their litlle girl. I was in an off lease dog park one time and my 13 year old daughter was pinned to a fence by a snarling Labrador. Keep in mine there were about 4 pitbulls in there at the time. They were all well behaved.
We have to remember just like people each dog has his own personality. I do believe that anyone who wants own one of these dogs should have to attend a class. My worry is not pitbulls its irresponsible owners who do not neuter or spay their pitbulls, properly socialiize, properly exercise their dogs to make them both mentally and physically sound.
I’ve lived with and owned pitbulls since before I could walk. It’s the only breed of dog i’ve ever had and i’ve never been bitten, the worst being getting scratched from them jumping up to get rubbed. The dogs are loyal and very easy to train since they’re so eager to please. The training of these dogs determines how it’ll act in the future, like all dogs. If someone got attacked by one, it was just as likely that they could have gotten attacked by any other dog they own. Since pitbulls are supposedly bred to fight though, they get a bigger publicity for an attack.
pit bulls are not mean or dangerous . its how there owners treat them and trian them . some pitbulls can be the sweatest dog you will ever meet. some dogs that you would never exspect to be mean can be really mean. one day i watcheed a show there was like 10 dogs thtey were pitbullls a guy foreced them to be fighting dogs when some one rescued them and took them for a walk together they were just so happy to be free they did not care that the dog they use to fight was next to them.
This article may be 100% right. But as others have said, I don’t think that’s the biggest issue.
I don’t ever want a pit bull in my house for the same reason I don’t want a mountain lion strolling around my living room. Not because a 250 pound cat won’t be sweet and gentle if raised from a kitten. But because of what it is capable of.
Pit bulls are deceptive. They are small and people think they are cute and precious instead of running away like they would from a wildcat. As someone said above, ANY animal is capable of biting if provoked. Pit bulls are just capable of too much, regardless of their mental state. If my two year old son suddenly decides on a whim to pinch the dog, I would rather we be swabbing a nip on his arm than mourning his lost life.
Great article and very good discussion. I have to say though that eventhough most folks defending the APBT breed make great points, I fear most of them voice their opinion about the matter with their personal pets in mind. Makes sense but not all owners are alike. I for one have a Pittbull which happens to be a great dog. But I honestly still practice great caution when around other folks or out in public. We have to realize that eventhough all breeds can be aggresive, none have the strength and determination our APTs have. Any dog can snap. But an angry Chiuahua is nowhere near as dangerous as an angered Pittbull. Common sense.. Practice it…
I don’t have a pit bull but hearing stories about them makes me think and do research on this type of breed. Some people say they are good and some say they are bad. I do think that anyone that owns or wants to own a pit bull should be educated and if able be trained by a professional to handle this kind of breed in a safe and healthy manner. I believe that all dogs. Actually any animal that is on this earth should be handled in a safe and healthy manner. Animals can be just as dangerous as humans. Dogs and any other animal are just like humans. Some are just born not right in the head. Some are sweet and gentle even if they were or weren’t abused and some have end up being dangerous because of them being abused. Humans have been killed by animals. Humans have been killed by humans and animals have been killed by humans and animals. So, I can’t agree nor disagree I just wanted to share with you’ll my thoughts on the subject.
I think it is stupid to judge an animal by gossip! ALL DOGS at capable of tearing someone’s face off! It’s the risk we take as humans trying to finding compassion, love, affection, and protection in another species. There are crazy people that will do horrible things to loved ones. Should we stop socializing because there are those kinds of people out there? No you become aware of these things And make Your own decision. Don’t fear it because you hear about it. This is why I don’t watch the news! People sit in there homes fearing of the offal story’s people thrive off of. Live your life and have your own opinion! I’m sorry but if you believe that certain breads are just born aggressive or crazy….. Your wrong! Humans are all the same breed and not all are crazy! I 100% believe its all about the way we are raised and trained. There is such thing as a chemical imbalance. But it does not happen within a whole breed! Maybe people get bit because they sit here and worry themselves to death that your thoughts and actions rub off on the animals. They do know when your nervous and guess what they get nervous too!!! I know it’s a little off subject but you really shouldn’t base things off of what other people say! Have your own opinion and maybe have the guys to test your theory out or you can sit in a corner and drive yourself crazy and be in fear of everything based off of what everyone else thinks and says! I have a pit bull named Lola and she is the sweetest dog ever! It is also a good idea to maybe keep some rules for people and your pets! Don’t let your dog get in anyone’s face that they don’t know very well…. Vise versa! What do you do if someone you don’t know very well gets in your face. You defend yourself right? Yeah well so do animals! You should set rules to fit the situation, kids adults, too many people, ect…. Animals really do react almost just like humans do! Think about it! Be smart and think about things and I’m sure whatever dog you get you will love and they will love you back.
Well my two American bull dogs are the biggest babies and then I have a boxer which Ive raised all three from pups. Well my boxer would be the one that is aggressive. She wasn’t raised to be like that. Its due to a young boy who teased her. As she I’d a lot older than the two bull dogs. What makes me sick are the ppl that abuse or like the young boy teased my boxer. I one day looked out the window ( as my boxer was barking) and i find this kid was picking tomatoes out of my garden and throwing them at my dog. I ran out the door I asked the kid would you like it if I threw tomatoes at you. He Ofcourse said no. As I talked to the mom of this boy it didn’t help things at all she wouldn’t believe he even did such a thing. After knowing nothing would be taken care of by his parents. I keep a close eye on the dogs when outside. But this got so bad with the boy that we put a privacy fence up around our place. Also I turned to calling te cops which seemed to help in scaring the boy as a K9 cop who responsed. The cop put a very big scare in the boy.
I got my American bull dogs after this all happened so I thankfully didn’t have this problem while raising them. But my point was pit’s , bull dogs and rot’s are not born mean it startes with the problem of people. The problem isn’t the dog it’s people.
We have two dogs one is a Pit-bull and the other is a Shepard mix we also have three children my youngest being two, I would leave my children with my Pit-Bull way before leaving them with my Shepard, our Pit-Bull is gentle and loving to my children and would do anything for them while our Shepard can not be trusted as she has bitten our youngest in the past. Pit-Bulls are wonderful dogs while they may not do well with other animals they love people.
I am doing a research paper on pit bulls and aggression because my dad is very negative towards them. Out neighbor has a pit bull who has chased several people down the road. He never once bit them and only started chasing them once they had started running away. because I am writting a reaserch paper my teacher has had me reading articles from both sides about how pit bulls behave. I have looked into the ASPCA website and found some very useful facts that say that pit bulls are mostly aggressive against other dogs unless properly socialized but are not naturally aggressive against humans. when they were mainly being used for dog fighting the owners of the dogs would stand in the arena with the fighting dogs and entirely trusted them to not turn on them. If a dog attacked another human then they would be killed because the owners didn’t want to chance their family members getting bitten or having human aggressiveness breed into another generation of pit bulls. These pit bulls were not only fighting dogs but also the family pet. They used to be nicknamed “the nanny dog” because they were amazing with children. Pit bulls have a high pain tolerance and are therefore more tolerant to young children being rough. My parents bought a Shelti a few years ago because they had heard that they were a great family dog. When we got him though, the breeder told us that sheeperds were not great dogs to have with yound children because they are trained to nip at the heels of children to make them go where they want. If you want to own a pit bull then you really should get them at an early age because they have to be socialized with other dogs if they will act friendly around them. yes there are still bad pit bulls but not all of them are. Just like with other dogs, if you raise them right then they can be great dogs. In the town where I live there is a couple who have a pit bull and a golden retriever. When they walk them down town they keep a muzzle and a short leash on the golden retriever but the pit bull has a longer leash.
All I have to say about Pitts being dangerous is BS I havea pitt Bull named cocoa and she has never shown agreesion towards anyone and we got her later in life, she is loving and loves to lick my son all the time she loves both my husband and myself dearly and often thinks of herself as a lap dog..lol I believe that dogs are like people and its all how you are rasied.. if you kick a person long anough or hurt them awwell its only a matter of time before they come back at you its the same with any animal, to say that they are genticly dangerous for their genes is also says that serial killaes are born that way.. I believe that nuture should win out on this one I lvoe my dog and I feel for those who have been attacked but if it was any other dog would there be any outrage then? many other dogs are deem “dangerous but we as owners need to take care of our pets and make sure that they obey and know what is right and wrong.
Humans have been proven to be much more dangerous not only to our own kind, but all other kinds as well. Much more dangerous than American Pit Bull Terriers or other pit bull type dogs have been. So I say we should put ourselves down to keep ourselves safe.
How’s that for a compromise?
I feel the need to insert my short and sweet two cents. all of you people who are bashing dont even own a pit bull. if you did why would you be bashing them? so how the fuck would you know their personality or if they were dangerous or not? from the media? great source guys. half of the “pit bull” attacks ran in media stories aren’t even pit bulls. a study has proven that a golden retriever is more likely to bite you than a pit bull. I have a pit and he is the most wonderful dog I have ever owned. so until you own a pit, don’t judge them based what you see in the media. that only makes you look like a hysterical, close-minded dumbass, which you probably are
I personally find pit bulls to be the sweetest dogs, i have grown up with them and lots of other dogs. one of my pit bulls was rescued from a pit bull fight where she was used as a bait dog and after my mom saved her life all she would do is lick you. no matter who you were she would just love you because she was a good dog. i have been looking at what everyone says and i would like to say for the statistics that say “In 2012, roughly one-third, 32% (12), of all dog bite fatality victims were either visiting or living temporarily with the dog’s owner when the fatal attack occurred” but when i looked for statistics that say what percent of that was just the dog trying to protect the owner since pit bulls have a pertective nature. going way back when, when they used to be known as “Nanny dogs”. they used to always be used for protection and they were trusted. They have been publicly bashed as terrible dogs around the time dog fighting became popular because they have been born and trained to fight and kill other dogs just so some stupid kid can make a few bucks and its wrong. people shouldnt judge a dog(much like a person) based on its past. like people, animals can change and learn to be nice.
Pit Bulls are a sweet, magnificent breed. The propaganda about them being dangerous is completely false. Humans are more extremely dangerous and any breed of dog can be dangerouis too, if not loved, nurtured and treated properly.
We need to put an end to the lies. Pit Bulls are soft , emotional loving babies. I have extensive experience raising and keeping them and never seen this so-called aggression and bad traits in my dogs.
They are seniors now and have small dog companions that they love, protect and adore. They love kids and most people too.
We truly need to stop false myths about this fabulous breed..
Enough is enough! Everyone should experience the gift and blessing of having a wonderful PitBull in the family.. They will steal your heart and make you melt, they are so loving and very sweet!
Anecdotally I would say Pit Bulls are a Higher potential risk than most breeds.I have seen myself sweet loving happy pit bulls whose owners have owned and babied since they were puppies, jump fences and kill other dogs.I have a friends sister whose son adopted a rescue that was sweet and 6 months later nearly killed her one night.She was found outside her home and the loss of blood was so great she suffered permanent brain damage and is in an assisted living.
If you look up the CDC records on fatal dog attacks in the US,you see a majority are pit bulls.With all the hundreds of other breeds to have ONE breed be the majority in fatal attacks is telling.
BEST DOGS EVER!! I rescue starved/abandoned/ abused pit bulls and find them GREAT LOVING FOREVER homes!!! What I DON’T UNDERSTAND is WHY “We the People” have allowed the Government to come in and ban these dogs from being owned in MANY cities and some whole states. I started a Facebook page called Death of America’s Babysitter on Facebook, I encourage everyone to click like and share the page. It is my way of trying to get people together to STOP the IGNORANCE!! We have to come together and change these laws and get justice for America’s Nanny Dog. The sadest part of it all is I have reached out to several Celebs to get them to stand up as well (Tia from Pit Bull and Parolees, Shorty from Shortywood) and I now question why they do what they do, because I get NO RESPONSE. Are they really doing what they do for the dogs, or for their TV shows???? People forgot that this country was built on people revolting and demanding their rights!! WE HAVE TO COME TOGETHER!! Thanks for those who read this.
Not surprisingly, the biggest supporters of pit bulls are owners. I’ve read many accounts of how cute, sweet and non-aggressive these ‘nanny’ dogs are.
It’s just not so. Pit-bulls are inherently dangerous. I realize that you have to go beyond the media hype which sensationlizes dog attacks. When you look at the cold hard statistics, pit-bulls are always at the top of the list for human death and injury from dog attacks. Rottweilers are usually second but a long way behind pit bulls.
I’ve heard all the arguments about attacks not being the dog’s fault. It’s the owner’s fault. Or the arguments about the dog being protective. Or the arguments that pit-bulls were bred to be aggressive to other dogs but not to humans.
Anecdotal stories about your favorite Frisky, Cuddles, Spot or Benny can’t change the dog attack statistics..
Of course you are going to have aggressive dogs in every breed. The problem with the dog bite statistics is that not all bites are reported & there are too many breeds that are identified as “pitbulls”. There is not such dog as a pit bull. You have three main breeds that are considered “pits”: American Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier & Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Unfortunately some people misidentifying
The problem with these dog bite statistics is the inaccuracies when it comes to people’s identification. Now everything is a “pit bull” type dog! There truly is no such thing as a pit bull. You have three breeds that are considered pit bulls: American Pit bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier & Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
People also mistake Boxers, Cane Corsos, American Bulldogs, Presa Carnarios & mixes of these to be “pit bulls” but they aren’t! If the dog has a large head or a certain proportioned body or brindle color pattern, or ears set a certain way it’s automatically a pit bull! That’s like combining the statistics on bites from Rottweilers, Dobermans & Shephards because they have similar colors & they’re large.
Also, the problem is he medias overly biased opinion causing the same bite or attack from a “pit bull type” dog to be broadcast & written hundreds of times. Then when someone is attacked, mauled or killed by another breed you barely have any stories to research on it!
I used to be terrified of pit looking dogs as a whole until I did research, spent time with the animals & watched how they interacted with my friends & their families.
Children & animals in my neighborhood have been bitten & chased by several dogs over the past fifteen years & out of the 7 instances I can count only one has involved a pit bull/ beagle mix. The rest were a Rottweiler, 2 German Shephards, a Jack Russel Terrier, a Border Collie Mix & a rather nasty Golden Retriever mix that tries to bite when anyone walks past the yard. Three of the above animals were all owned by the same people on different occasions.
Put the responsibility where it lies with the dog breeders & irresponsible owners. You can teach any dog to be mean, but it is the public, responsible pet owners & their pets that suffer for the idiots who abuse, neglect or fail to properly train their animals in the first place.
While it’s true that pitbulls typically lead the charts of people killed.. well, sorry Thicket, but let’s take a look at these “statistics” of which you speak:
Human deaths per year from –
pitbull attacks – 30
sharks – 12
falling TVs – 35
falling coconuts – 150
elephants – 500
hammers – 600 (in the US alone)
falling down the stairs – 2.000
hippos – 3.000
drowning – 3.500
drug overdose – 15.000
drunk drivers – 10.000 (in the USA alone)
mosquitos – 650.000
So I would advise everybody to avoid insects, drunkards, stairs, and coconuts before worrying too much about pitbulls.
And that’s not to mention the 2.000 children killed in the USA annually by their parents. I’d rather have my kid in a room with a pitbull than an abusive adult any day of the week.
It’s funny when people think they know what they are talking about but are completely void of fact. There has never been nor is there yet a national system of reporting dog bites. the CDC has repeatedly stated it’s stats were flawed. Since when is the media a source for information…”Pit Bull” is not a breed. A Pit Bull is a group of breeds grouped together. If a study lists all floppy ear breeds in one group I bet that group will have a high number of bites attributed to it. Try using Google and looking things up yourself before condemning the innocent.
As of yesterday morning i now have a Pit Bull !I too was questionable but she is a big baby!right guess that is to be expected from a pup!I don”t know how she will be but was told i cant keep here so i have to give her away!very sad people do not give these dogs a “fighting”chance
Are pit bulls dangerous by nature or inheritance? In personal opinion and personal experience with the breed of dog I say no. I don’t believe that a breed of dog could inherit attitude/ personality from it’s parent. Pitt bulls are a lot like humans depending on how they were raised and molded to look at life I believe depends on how they act and grow. I do know that there have been ‘pit bull’ attacks on humans and other animals. But now we have to look at, what exactly is a pit bull? There are many definitions for a pit bull and the first humanly sense people use is sight. A person can automatically look at a dog and determine whether it has ‘pit’ in it, but does it? Depending on the dominant genes and breed, that depends on what your dog will look like. In a test at my local animal shelter we brought in a woman to test her fear of pit bulls. Lining up our sweetest pit bull terrier, a full blooded ‘pit bull’, and a German shepherd/ pit bull mix (German shepherd was dominant). Instantly she took to the German shepherd mix and requested we take the other two out. However when the truth came out she was bewildered that the shepherd had any pit in it at all. A way we changed her mind. Many people fear pit bulls for the wrong reason, mainly through the media and stories others have shared over the internet. Though if you actually get down and personal with the breed then you would see that there is nothing much to fear other than a tackle and a bunch of kisses to follow.
okay. pitbulls are, in fact, the perfect family dogs. all the bad reps they have doesnt count for their breed in general. it counts for the ones not brought up and trained correctly, and that is not their fault. it is the dumbest idea to not be allowed to have the pet you desire, and that should quickly change….. people need to stop believing what others say, or think, and see for themselves that they are a good breed. and media should also stop with every way that they contribute, because it isnt helping their rep any. everyone follows media, and is shallow enough to fall into it, and believe what they say. more deaths occur from coconuts falling on someones head each year than pit bull attacks. and please try and tell me thats something you see everyday………
probably not…..
I understand that the data may suggest that pitbulls are inherently dangerous. However as the article states above, the issue with pitbulls is that they are sought after by criminals who breed them for agression and typically do not care for them or train them correctly. If you read the information behind each dog mauling, the notes are typically the same. The dog was tied up in the back yard. A dog who is tied up in the back yard is rarely a dog who is well socialized with humans or other animals. You can compare pitbulls to the same crime levels that happen in poverty stricken areas. Where there is poverty, there is typically more crime and higher murder rates. These are the same groups of people who are breeding and neglecting pitbulls.
Pitbulls are not inherently dangerous. They are dangerous b/c humans are breeding them to be dangerous. They are overbreed, undertrained and dying by the hundreds in our shelters everyday. If you took the popular golden retriever and put it in the same circumstance that overwhelms the pitbull breed, you may have people thinking & reacting differently to golden retrievers.
Shame on you people who believe this breed is not dangerous. My neighbor’s pit bull was the sweetest dog for so many years til it ripped my beloved dog to pieces. The deceitful dog waited for seven long years before it finally decided to kill my dog. I used to defend this breed and argue with people who believe they are a menace and I made a very very huge mistake by doing so, my dog is dead and the day the murder took place is still fresh. I can still hear the horrible squeal of my dog as it dies in pain.. My dog for 8 years, my companion, murdered by this evil breed. Shame on you all!
My mom was walking her cousin’s dog and they got attacked by a pit bull. She said the pit bull was really big and it bit her and the dog a lot. The dog had to get stitches and my mom’s hands were all bruised and covered in scars. A sherif had to come out and shoot the dog or else it would have killed them. Many dogs can be dangerous (like pit bulls). So, yes, they can be dangerous. It partly depends on how they are treated. I don’t think the owner treated the pit bull right, so that could be a good explanation. Not just pit bulls, but all stray or loose dogs can be. If someone doesn’t have control of them, they can maul your face off.
I am a studying veterinarian and have done much research into animals and their behaviour and it saddens me that people will still discriminate against one ‘breed’ just because there are individuals within that breed that display aggression. The Pit Bull’s brain is the exact same as any other dog, they have the exact same instinct, feel the exact same amount of pain if hurt and think exactly like any other dog would. So why do people treat them as though they are more dangerous than any other dog breed? Any dog if treated the same way as some of these aggressive pit bulls are treated would do the exact same as the pit bull. I dont understand how people cant get this? Pit bulls in Australia are classified according to trivial things like eye and coat colour. Now tell me how its possible for a dog to be more affectionate because it has blue eyes instead of brown? A pit bull will be dismissed as one if their coat is pure white or they have blue eyes. How does this affect the aggression of a dog? Its not the pit bulls to blame it is the type of people who purchase them. Are we really so niave that we will discriminate them? Its like how back in the past when people used to keep black slaves and everyone thought it was fine because they were black and not like white people. White people treated them how they did because when they discovered them, the white people believed they were far more advanced and better than them and black people lived more like animals than people so it was fine. We soon discovered that was not the case and that just because they looked different, came from a different country doesnt mean they were any different to us; they had the exact same anatomy, human genetics and the exact same brain as us. So are we really that stupid that we will repeat something like by discriminating against something that has the exact same anatomy, canine genetics and the exact same brain as the dogs we love and let play with our children? People need to accept responsibility for their pets and we need to realise who is actually to blame for these attacks. I DO NOT OWN A PIT BULL NOR HAVE EVER OWNED A PIT BULL NOR DO I KNOW ANYONE PERSONALLY WHO OWNS ONE, I READ THE NEWSPAPERS, SEE THE VIDEOS AND I HAVE SEEN AN AGGRESSIVE PIT BULL IN REAL LIFE. BUT THEN I LOOKED TO THE OWNER OF THIS DOG AND SAW HIM HIT AND KICK HIS DOG UNTIL IT STOPPED BARKING AND GROWLING. WHO IS REALLY TO BLAME FOR THIS VIOLENCE?
To hear such ignorance about these dogs is repulsive to me. I’ve owned pit bulls my whole life, i currently own one along with two mini weenies as well. I have more problems with my mini weenie male dog being a bully to my pit bull male. My pitbull is a rescue from a shelter that is well known, and as MOST people know, shelters cannot adopt out “aggressive dogs”. Just like with any large breed dog, its my responsibility as GOOD pet owner to make sure that i always supervise my smaller and larger dog together at all times. My pit bull is beyond GREAT with my children, they adore eachother so much….but still, always supervised. Thats the responsible thing to do. Not because i’m afraid something will happen, but because i will make sure that i’m always there to providing the best care for my family and pets both.
Such ignorance against a specific dog breed reminds me of other prejudices we’ve had as a nation…i hear “statistics” getting thown out here and there.
African Americans went thru the same thing. “oh they’re dangerous, dont let ur wife and kids around them” “oh they all steal and kill” “oh something went missing, ask the black guy” “oh they shouldnt share bathrooms, fountians, books, or even schools with us cause they have more sickness than we do….” and the ignorance goes on and on
same for men and women that have been released from prison….cant find a decent job because no one trusts them “once a criminal , always a criminal” . Im sure there a many of us that have family members that have experienced that.
“Most “criminal” are from ethnic minority groups and come from lower class familes”
so what now? are THEY ALL dangerous??? should we BAN THEM ALL?????
hey statistics are statistics right?
come on, give me a break
i’d love to think as a nation, we’ve come further than this…that we’re aren’t such hipocrits, so prejudice…..but sometimes, things like this, it makes me more sad for us as people, than for the dog breed of PITBULL itself.
My family and I had always been afraid of Pit Bulls because of what we had seen and heard on the news.
However, just over three years ago , an abandoned young male pit bull showed up on our doorstep.
We were at first, very apprehensive, but it didn’t take long to realize there was no danger in this dog. He has become a part of our family, and has never shown any signs of aggression, even toward our 10 year old Golden Retriever. They even eat from the same food dish. Our pit bull is the most well behaved, sweetest natured dog we have ever known.
What’s my experience with pit bulls? Well let me just tell you. Two neighborhood pit bulls, who naturally had “never shown aggression before” (that’s always the story, it seems) BROKE INTO my back yard completely UNPROVOKED and attacked my dog, sending him to the emergency room. Their owners were very cooperative, are paying for the bill (this happened recently), and don’t seem irresponsible at all. What do all you emotional pit bull owners say to that? No provocation, not on their territory, responsible owners, STILL a severe dog-on-dog attack perpetrated by a pit bull. And the “any dog can go bad” excuse just doesn’t cut it – a chihuahua, beagle, golden retriever attack pales in comparison to that of a pit bull, rottweiler, or similar breed’s attack. There’s a reason criminals, police, etc. pick those types of dogs. They have the potential to do a lot more damage than other breeds, and it shows.
As a pitbull/mix owner I LOVE this breed. I do a lot of volunteer work with shelter pitbulls and all of my friends also have them. They are fantastic dogs as long as they are raised right and go through proper training. They were not bred to “fight other dogs” that was all because of irresponsible humans doings. Of course after being abused like that they are going to have issues. They are like any other dog breed and quite frankly, I’ve met many “ankle biters” or small dog breeds who are MUCH more vicious then any other breed I’ve ever met! And if you check out actual statistics–a GOLDEN RETRIEVER–which is supposed to be one if the top family dogs actually has a HIGHER bite rate. You can’t judge a dog based on its looks. Half of those so called “pitbulls” in shelters are only called that based on a look. If they were actually DNA tested more then half of them don’t even have a “bully breed” in their bloodline at all. What the governments should really start doing to actually HELP this breed is to start fining the irresponsible and idiotic breeders who aren’t certified, make laws that make you fix your animals, and fine people who aren’t being responsible owners. It all stems from the PEOPLE. Do your research! So frustrating as a fellow “pitbull” owner how misunderstood this breed really is.
WH.
i think your misunderstanding the perseption of the pitbull bread. I have 2 pitbulls and a 6month old baby and let me tell you its the sweetest couples together if i can put it like that. Iv the baby is crying then they come and barks at me and run to the bed where my child is crying just to let me know he is awake.
They are just so adorable, and my dad use to breed pitbulls, we are 4 boys none of us were ever bitten.
Get the facts first, its how you treat your dog.
I quite agree that Pitbulls are great dogs, but their character mostly depends on us, humans. Of, course, they have some genetic features of fighting and agression, but we need to remember, that we live in modern world and our pets too and socialization today is one of the main important aspects in our life. I wonder, how could one grow up an agressive killer, which is ready for dog fighting when Pitbull was bringing up in love? Remember, we`re responsible for what we tamed!
Well not all pit bulls are like that I agree that if the owners give them love and care and don’t abuse them they will be loyal Nd treat there owner with respect and love.Pets are our companions they shouldn’t be treated bad imagine when you hitting them wat the poor animal is thinking?Like what ir why is my owner hitting me dogs are like humans how would you feel if I grab a broom and wack for peeing on the carpet well you couldn’t hold it so You had to go pitbuls and other dogs are cable of hurting some one so hater back off love your pets tell them that cuz once there gone you will be torn that ohh I hit my animal crying for that yes I’m not saying to just let your dog to wat ever but c’mon don’t. Torture the little guy or girl love them care for them feed them show them LOVE LET THEM KNOW YOU LOVE AND CARE FOR THEM PLZ DONT HURT AND HIT UR ANIMALS NIT ONLY DIGS BUT ANY ANIMAL PET WAT EVER YOU CALL THEM SHOW THE LOVE THE CARE PLZ SUPPORT ME AND STOP ANIMAL ABUSE WE CAN ALL DO IT!!!
I personally love APBT. Where I live is on someone else’s property. I adopted a pit from the pound one day and was told to get that dog off the property. Although I rent a house and thought I could do whatever I wanted, I respectfully took the dog back. That broke my heart. So I tried another solution and adopted and pitbull mix. Pitbull and Labrador. The property owner was fine with it and I still have Silas, my black pit mix. He has been one of the best dogs I’ve ever owned. He is great with kids and people, he hates cats and squirrels but other than that I leash walk him and keep him in the house with me. It’s just amazes me that some people are so discriminate. I love it though when I take Silas places like the park and people say how good liking he is and as what kind of dog he is an the back off when they hear he’s part pitbull. Amazes me.
I own 2 pit bulls. Both rescues. My first was a year old when she was found tied up to a pole abandoned, starved, and she had heart worms. She had been left there to die.
When I went to rescue a dog the last thing on my mind was a pit bull. But she came up to me and started wagging her tail, as if she knew me her whole life. And in TRUE pit bull form she survived the treatment, gained weight and 3 years later I have yet to notice ANY type of aggressive behavior towards any human or animal. My step daughters paint her nails and dress her up. They take naps with her.
I did give into the myths of pit bulls. The ‘lock jaw’ that only drug dealers have pit bulls. But once I did my research all of it is a lie.
Someone mentioned earlier about the CDC statistics- the pit bull category actually consists of different breeds: American pit bull terrier, American bull dog, bull terrier, staffordshire terrier, American staffordshire terrier.. Those are all different breed yet it’s categorized into one so it is perceived like the ‘pit bull’ has the most attacks.
Reality is that these breeds are the most tolerant dogs tested by the American Temperament Test Society. They are great dogs. People just suck. Train them to attack and even those dogs have a chance to be a great pet. The second bully I rescued was a part of a dog fighting ring. And just like my first rescue he gets dressed up and sleeps with my girls. I’ve had him for 2 years now and he is proof that no matter how crappy people treated him, he’s just happy to be in a good loving family.
It is YOUR responsibility to treat your pet with love and train them correctly.
I have a one year old, adopted pit; he’s my best friend. My partner and I also have an 8-year old Yorkie and five year old daughter. Our 70 lb. pit is the biggest baby ever, he adores our daughter and lets her do anything she likes–princess dresses, crowns, tea parties–he tolerates every bit of it. We go to the dog park and there are several other pits there–all the most docile ones in the group. The most aggressive? Two of the labs, a boxer, an Akita and a miniature Collie. They bully all the other dogs there. Why? Because their owners let them and don’t pull them away or discipline them properly. Dogs, no matter the breed, will be aggressive or antisocial if they aren’t taught how to understand and deal with other dogs and people. Just like humans dogs that have been abused can suffer from PTSD. If you’d experienced some of the things those dogs did, you might be scared of people and dogs as well. The majority that are saved from abuse and neglect end up being so grateful for being saved that they completely dote on their owners. I can’t see the pics of used pits anymore than I can see the pics of abused kids without crying and wanting to hold my kid or my pup.
I had a pit mix – sweet and loveable, I also had friends that had purebreds. The most loveable and protective dogs you will ever see.
But I am also aware of bad owners, so I am a little skittish around them.
This morning I walked my mini dachshund on a leash – neighbors up the street were out seeing someone off and their ( looked like a beautiful pure bred pit ) came running out of the house w/o a leash, ( he just ran out ) and headed straight for me and my dog.
I scooped up my little one and just hoped he wouldn’t get bit.
Turned out all the Pit did was whine and wanted to play, while my Dachsie was snapping and snarling, go figure.
The pits owners apologized, I did , too.
We shouldn’t be going after breeds, yes pits can be dangerous but we need to hold the owners responsible, the dogs are just dogs.
We need tougher sentences for people who use these dogs for weapons or use them in dog fights.
Banning a breed for a bad reputation is as bad as saying all black people are born bad or muslims shouldn’t be allowed to live!
Interesting how many people here listen to the information and make educated opinions and how many just spout out in defense of pit bulls. The pit bull that attacked and killed my mother, BA Todd, in January of this year, was properly raised, socialized, and cared for. The dog was a big baby and loved my mother. Then it flipped its switch, like pit bulls do regularly, and bit my mother repeatedly on the ankles, hands, arms, face, neck. The dog dislocated my tiny little mother’s right arm, ripped half her face off, her right ear, and her neck. The dog severed my mother’s spinal column. I strongly disagree that any dog could have done this. I strongly disagree that genetics don’t play a large role in this. Before my mother was killed, our family believed that pits just had a bad rap. How any dog turns out is simply a matter of raising it properly, right? Wrong. Most deaths due to dog bites occur from pit bull attacks. Most dog attacks against people are due to pit bulls. These weren’t pits raised for criminal activity. Most of these attacks are by someone’s sweet, loving family pet. I beg everyone to use caution when dealing with any dangerous dog, but especially pit bulls and pit mixes. All dogs can bite. Not all dogs can kill. Get the facts on victims of dog attacks, not just the “politically correct” nonsense. My family wishes we’d known. Dogsbite.org
I decided to do some further research on this subject since we recently adopted a random pit bull off the street about 4 months ago. And may I reiterate randomly, and off the street. My mother’s complaint is she’s worried one day Pepe may indiscriminately turn on her, myself, or my 3 children. Now granted Pepe is a Red Nose Pit-bull, and weighs about 60 pounds so I can somewhat relate to her opinion, but that’s opinions. Surprisingly enough it took me months to actually do diligent research as he’s been a part of my family member the moment we too him in. I must admit when I first met him he scared the crap out of me because of his massive size, I was even telling the girls to go in the house. After seconds of him showing no aggression, and those beautiful brown eyes that looked down as if to say “I won’t hurt you.” I knew he was a keeper! My biggest issue with him is he thinks he’s the size of a Shitzu. He jumps on the adults, but he NEVER jumps on the girls, it’s like he knows to respect their size. We eventually ran into his initial owners who confirmed him to be a family dog. They actually rescued him from a very rough situation when he was a few months and raised him further and even stated he never jumped on her 2 year old daughter. I love Pepe so much I had to tell a “little white lie” and say I purchased him so they wouldn’t ask for him back but they were moving and were happy to see he was with a loving family. Biggest shock came when they told me he was roughly a year and a half!! So he will get bigger and that does explain his nipping but no one has ever bled or a mark left. When he sees other dogs he doesn’t get aggressive. The only time I saw him get aggressive towards another animal is when he was protecting us from a 20 pound raccoon. Huge protector as well. Not many people come to our house but when they pull up in the driveway Pepe is barking to let us know and the person hasn’t even gotten out the car yet! Needless to say I think a dog’s temperament is based on how they were predominantly raised and even then they can still be trained to be loving animals. I know people who have mean pit bulls but again, the dog is being raised in a rough situation and those are the only Pit’s I know to be aggressive. Furthermore, I agree with most of the owners who love their pit’s and claim them to be family dogs because they are. When you know you know!
i have had several of these beautiful dogs and have never seen any type of agression towards any one from any of them
Keep your pit away from my dog. Some are very nice and some are nice around people, but the OVERWHELMING majority of problem dogs at dog parks are pits and other aggressive breeds. Aggressive breeds do, in fact, exist. Not only that, but they are powerful enough to overpower some people, and definitely other dogs. One just chewed off a woman’s face near here. You can easily overpower most breeds if they turn violent. I’ve seen pits hold on until they are kicked bloody before releasing their jaws that are wrapped around another poor dog’s throat. THEY ARE DANGEROUS.
I believe each person can make up his own mind on this subject.I know a family who have a13 year old put bull who does appear to be really sweet and gentle, even with their 3 children.On the flip side i have a friend who just yesterday spent all day at the plastic surgeon getting his face put back after his very calmly raised pit bull decided for 1 minute, not to be.For those who say its all in how you raise them,i don’t think its a hundred percent true only because of what I’ve seen.My friend getting his face operated on would have said the same thing last week about his gently raised pit bul..i think twenty sutures to put his cheek, lip, and side of his face back together would give him a different opinion.He also said he was grateful it was him and not his three year old son stanright standing right behind him and had to watch it.So for those who choose to have them it is certainly your right to do so, and from the comments it seems like many really love them.i own six dogs all sizes, but for me, its my choice not to own one that could potentially kill me or one of my children o in a moment that may only ever come once
You can, in fact, breed temperaments into dogs, and pits, in fact, have been bred for a nasty temperament. That doesn’t mean all or even most of them will be that way, but the tendency is there. To say its solely about how they are raised is false.
Also, though other dogs can be more violent, most other breeds can’t do much damage or can easily be fought off. Pits, however have been bred to be very powerful. They can easily kill, and the FACTS back this up.