Banning Pit Bulls

All I can say is that I would be more than a little creeped out if I was you..and it sounds like you were. Its a good thing you got away before anything might have happened.

For me personally, I would never own a pitbull. I would not want one especially if I had small children. I know, I know, ...all animals are unpredictable and etc...however, I hear more instances of attacks and incidents of that nature with pitbulls than any other dog breed. Like Rydia said on her thread about pitbulls and whether or not they should be banned...they have been known to do good in some cases like protecting their owners in situations of their owners being attacked by others...but for me the risk of having one would outweigh the possible benefit.

Last summer we had an article on the news about how a little girl was attacked and killed by a pitbull...and this wasn't the first time I'd heard about an attack...because just about a month or so before that...another news article...a guy was just walking down the street got attacked by a wandering pit bull...and almost didn't make it away. Pitbulls are risky animals in my opinion, more so than others....because they have more of a fighting instinct seemingly bred into them than others. You don't hear stories on the news about labradors, chiuauas, or cocker spaniels attacking and killing people.
 
I agree completely with this. But unfortunately because they are such loyal animals, that can be taken advantage of the owners, thus why they make such good fighting dogs...and because they really will do anything for their owners.

Such a shame, I live in California and the general perception aound hre is that they are jut evil animals, which is not the case. Like you said, it comes down to how they are raised.


Terrible Terry Tate said:
Pit bulls are often referred to as "nanny" dogs. If you ever see them around kids, they're awesome. Very protective, in a non-aggressive way, and very affectionate. It really comes down to how they are raised. Like you said, Ali, any dog can be raised to be vicious, and there are no such things as bad dogs; only bad owners.

So no, I don't agree with pit bulls being banned. I do agree with idiot dog owners who raise vicious dogs being banned from owning dogs and/or pets though.
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shoot, up until 2 or 3 years ago, german shephards ranked hire on the US bite scale than Pit Bulls. They can be great dogs, and they are very loyal, but theyre also very strong and they can play very rough. I think thats why they have a bad reputation as a family pet..
 
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Just as Caesar Millan, expert on dog psychology said; "Species don't make a dog, we do." the Government should focus on "banning" people that dedicate to train Pitbulls for fights, that isn't love, that's "making a profit", which is what dog fights really are, a means of profit. Thankfully, in my country, an incorporated territory of the US of A, are going to legalize Pitbulls.
 
Stella Nox Fleuret said:
All I can say is that I would be more than a little creeped out if I was you..and it sounds like you were. Its a good thing you got away before anything might have happened.

For me personally, I would never own a pitbull. I would not want one especially if I had small children. I know, I know, ...all animals are unpredictable and etc...however, I hear more instances of attacks and incidents of that nature with pitbulls than any other dog breed. Like Rydia said on her thread about pitbulls and whether or not they should be banned...they have been known to do good in some cases like protecting their owners in situations of their owners being attacked by others...but for me the risk of having one would outweigh the possible benefit.

Last summer we had an article on the news about how a little girl was attacked and killed by a pitbull...and this wasn't the first time I'd heard about an attack...because just about a month or so before that...another news article...a guy was just walking down the street got attacked by a wandering pit bull...and almost didn't make it away. Pitbulls are risky animals in my opinion, more so than others....because they have more of a fighting instinct seemingly bred into them than others. You don't hear stories on the news about labradors, chiuauas, or cocker spaniels attacking and killing people.
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But Pit bulls are not the dog that attack the most people. There are more reports from my local humane society from dalmations, chows, chiuauas, and St. Benards. In fact, Golden Retrievers and Labs bite more people from Pit bulls. We never hear about it because people become upset when they hear stories about these beloved dogs being vicious. Also, some reports about pit bull attacks are false. When there is a dog attack, reporters will say that the dog was a pit bull because the story will sell better. A good example, in my city, there was a report of a vicious pit bull attack, but when they showed the dog on the TV, it was obviously a lab.

Pit bulls are rarely ever human agressive. They can be highly dog aggressive which is why it is important to socialize these dogs when are young. Also, the owner is who makes the dog mean. The things that people to do raise fighting pit bulls are just sickening. It's no wonder that those dog would be vicious.

Also, if you ban pit bulls, dog fighters will still breed them in secret because that is how they are bred anyways. The females are penned up their entire life in basements or enclosed back yards producing litter after litter. And if these people were unable to acquire the dogs, they'd just move on to Rottweilers, dobermans, German Shepherds, and any other dog. Then we will get reports of those dogs having a reputation for being vicious and they will be banned.

Pit bull is a blanket term for 3-4 different breeds including American Pit bull terrier, american staffordshire terrier, bull terrier. It isn't fair to compare the bite rates of three different dog breeds to all other breeds individually.

Finally, a pomeranian, one of the smallest dogs in the world, killed a six month old baby. Should we now bsn all pomeranians.
 
To be clear, Rydia, Stella was replying to my post. It was a separate thread and blackstang merged it. My post is at the bottom of page 2.

Just so you know what she was referring to. My experience was... scary, to say the least. ._. After what I had experienced, I think it's understandable if I'm nervous around the breed! I'm sure they're great for the family, the problem is just they're incredibly loyal and protective, which isn't great for anyone that isn't the family!
 
So, this is why I think pitbulls are risky pets. Now to be absolutely clear, I don't think they're dangerous to the family that owns them. But when I challenged that dog described above -- Lucy -- she immediately became aggressive to me and only me.
She also sat ON my mother on the couch, and shoved her face into my mother's face. That's a dominance display. The only threat these dogs could potentially pose is to those that inadvertently challenge them or their family. Ever since this incident, I've been very nervous around these dogs.
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The owner of those dogs should have kept them penned off. They do not sound like good dog owners if they are allowing any of their dogs to display dominate behavior. Blame the owner and not the dog.

Be careful about showing fear or nervousness around any dog. They can sense it and will feel that you are not a good leader and will want to take over.

Chows are the dog that scare me the most. Every one I have met has been very over protective of their owner and quite mean.

Also, try to watch the show Pit bulls and Parolees on Animal Planet. It might make you feel better about these dogs.
 
The owner of those dogs should have kept them penned off. They do not sound like good dog owners if they are allowing any of their dogs to display dominate behavior. Blame the owner and not the dog.
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Oh, I agree. They were laughing for gods' sake as the dog was literally running me out of the house. The only people that could discipline that dog is the family, and the only thing they did was say, "Lucy, sit down." Like asking for butter, not commanding an animal.

My point was, though, that with absolutely zero abuse in this dog's past, it was still incredibly aggressive towards me. I don't think this is the pit bull being violent -- I think this is just the pit bull being protective of the family. That behavior must be reigned in, and there are simply way too many owners that don't know how to do it, don't recognize it, or simply don't do it at all. That's what makes me nervous around pit bulls -- knowing that this very protective animal may not be handled properly, or trained and disciplined properly leaving me at risk.

Be careful about showing fear or nervousness around any dog. They can sense it and will feel that you are not a good leader and will want to take over.

Chows are the dog that scare me the most. Every one I have met has been very over protective of their owner and quite mean.

Also, try to watch the show Pit bulls and Parolees on Animal Planet. It might make you feel better about these dogs.
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I know exactly what you mean. I had an Irish setter (known for being very aggressive, that was just how that dog behaved) actually get right up in my face and try to bite my nose off once. She attacked just the second when I thought "Maybe I should get away now..." They can smell the adrenaline. And I've lived with dogs all my life, so I can appreciate how important it is to not appear frightened. Which can be hard, depending but yeah. :P

No, by 'nervous' I mean... not being comfortable. I'd feel better knowing a responsible owner was nearby (hell, if the dog even had a responsible owner, I'd feel fine!), or otherwise there be something separating me and the dog. If the owner is a good one, disciplines their dog well, then I'm okay. I just want to make sure someone or something can stop the dog should it ever turn out to be like Lucy again -- that was damn scary and I don't feel too eager to go through that again.

I have actually seen those two shows you're talking about! =D And I've determined that proper training is what makes the difference in the dog. That, and acknowledging they're very protective of their "pack" and shouldn't be exposed to too many strangers too quickly. But really, that latter part should apply to any animal.

The only 2 Chows I met were absolute cuddle-muffins! :D
 
Rydia said:
But Pit bulls are not the dog that attack the most people. There are more reports from my local humane society from dalmations, chows, chiuauas, and St. Benards. In fact, Golden Retrievers and Labs bite more people from Pit bulls. We never hear about it because people become upset when they hear stories about these beloved dogs being vicious. Also, some reports about pit bull attacks are false. When there is a dog attack, reporters will say that the dog was a pit bull because the story will sell better. A good example, in my city, there was a report of a vicious pit bull attack, but when they showed the dog on the TV, it was obviously a lab.

Pit bulls are rarely ever human agressive. They can be highly dog aggressive which is why it is important to socialize these dogs when are young. Also, the owner is who makes the dog mean. The things that people to do raise fighting pit bulls are just sickening. It's no wonder that those dog would be vicious.

Also, if you ban pit bulls, dog fighters will still breed them in secret because that is how they are bred anyways. The females are penned up their entire life in basements or enclosed back yards producing litter after litter. And if these people were unable to acquire the dogs, they'd just move on to Rottweilers, dobermans, German Shepherds, and any other dog. Then we will get reports of those dogs having a reputation for being vicious and they will be banned.

Pit bull is a blanket term for 3-4 different breeds including American Pit bull terrier, american staffordshire terrier, bull terrier. It isn't fair to compare the bite rates of three different dog breeds to all other breeds individually.

Finally, a pomeranian, one of the smallest dogs in the world, killed a six month old baby. Should we now bsn all pomeranians.
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Like DM said, my post was in response to her thread...Dan just decided to merge the two threads because the topic was similar.

...and I'm sorry. No matter what someone would say to me in defense of these dogs, I would still never own one. That is my personal opinion...one that I base off of stories that I've heard (which is obviously more towards the negative end than the good) and what I hear on the news. I do not believe that they should be banned, however. I believe that they should be placed in the hands of a responsible, adept owner...however how would there be any form of regulation to ensure that happens? Until then we will hear stories on the news of attacks on people (possibly because of them being vicious because of how they were raised) or when one of these animals abruptly lashes out on someone without cause (like in the case of the little girl I talked about in my previous post), or when the animals of dog-fighting owners get humanely euthanized on Animal Planet. ...and while they are seemingly an overly publicized aggressive dog, I fail to believe that 100% of reports that I hear on the news and in the paper are b.s. ...and they are reporting just because they want to pick on pit bulls.

Again, I know that any animal is capable of both love and hate...and being an animal, dogs in general are capable of anything at any time. I already acknowledged that pit bulls are capable of being loving animals to their owners. Generally, an animal's demeanor comes down to nature vs. nuture. It is my personal belief that these dogs have more of an aggressive nature than most, which makes them more unpredictable than other dogs if they are also "nutured" incorrectly.
 
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Not wanting to own one is not at all a bad thing. People should own the dog breed that fits their lifestyle. I could never own a high energy dog because I do not have the time or the resources to properly care for it.

The way to stop all dog attacks is to put regulations on breeding. I say require all animals to be neutered or spayed unless the person has a liceness to breed. That way, when a new dog movie comes out, people do not go running to buy males and females who have not had their tempermant or genetic history check, to breed. when 101 dalmations came out, so many people started breeding them to make a buck which led to many dogs with unstable temperments. Same with Babe and Beethovan.

Good breeders have their dogs genetically checked, require an interview before placing a dog in a home, find the two best temperments, and will generally lose money on breeding. These people want to ensure that the breed lives on and want to improve upon it. Large dogs are very susceptible to hip displasia which is very bad for a dog to have and leads to many being put to sleep at young ages. Good breeders select males and females that do not have this disease and have all their puppy's hips x-rayed before selling them.

Unfortunantly, there is nothing to do about "secret" breeders because they are hard to locate :(
 
Rydia said:
But Pit bulls are not the dog that attack the most people...
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I'm not trying to pick a fight but... looking for something more evidence-based I looked into the some of the attack statistics on pitbulls. There was a study done in the U.S. and Canada from September 1982 to June 25, 2010 titled Dog Attack Death And Maimings by Merritt Clifton, Animal People, June 25, 2010 that states:

"There is a persistent allegation by pit bull terrier advocates that pit bulls are overrepresented among reported dog attack deaths and maimings because of misidentifications or because “pit bull” is, according to them, a generic term covering several similar types of dog. However, the frequency of pit bull attacks among these worst-in-10,000 cases is so disproportionate that even if half of the attacks in the pit bull category were misattributed, or even if the pit bull category was split three ways, attacks by pit bulls and their closest relatives would still outnumber attacks by any other breed."​


...and a smaller chart that represents the dogs with the highest attack/death rates is here at the top of this page: http://www.dogsbite.org/bite-study-deaths-maimings.htm

I still don't think they need to be banned...just regulated if in some way thats possible....since there are a lot of people (and dog fighters obviously) that cannot raise or treat them properly.​

 
EDIT: Big problem with that article. It was taken from press accounts where breed accuracy is often not checked. Also Meritt Clifton is infamous for being part of an animal rights organization that wants to see all dog ownership completly. BSL is just a baby step towards this.

Also on the American temperment test society: Pit bulls had a 86% pass rate where as Golden retirevers had an 84% pass rate.
http://www.atts.org/stats1.html

Pit bulls encompass 3 to 4 breeds though. Pit bull itself is not an individual dog breed. So it's like comparing Golden retirever, Labrador retriever, curly coated retriever, and flat coated retirever, bite rates to all other dogs and then claiming that retrievers bite the most people.

Pit bull breeds encompass, American Pit bull terrier, American staffordshire terrior, Bull terrier, staffordshire bull terrier, Banter Bulldogg and sometimes valley bull dog, French bull dog, Alapaha bull dog, and among many mixed breeds. Check out this website to see how hard they are to identify. http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

The study also encompasses almost thirty years. When a certain dog breed becomes popular, you will see more attacks from that breed because of back yard breeders who use unethical breeding techniques and do not look for hereditary or temperment issues. Rotties were popular in the 80's and early 90, dalmations were popular when the movie 101 dalmations came out. Pits became popular in the 90's. The list will also include breeds that are not very popular or not popular over all 30 years that this study took place, so there are going to be less dog attacks and bites. Pits and Rotts have always been popular.

Most pit bulls that do attack people were infact raised for fighting. when they are tying females up by their legs and having males attack them till near death, or using males that do not fight as "practice dogs" those dogs are going to have issues. And because of their reputation, people are more likely to use them as attack or guard dogs. And people make the mistake of thinking that a guard dog has to be mean to be effective which couldn't be further from the truth. Pitbulls also have higher abuse rates than most other breeds.

And like I said, the dogs we get the most reports of bites at my humane society are dalamations, St. Benards, chiuauas and Chows. These are dogs that were often raised with children and just one day lost patience (minus Chows). There are illegal pit bull fighting rings in my city. One just got busted a few months ago and we had several pits brought in, most having to be put to sleep.

The only dog I have ever been seriously bitten by was a wheten terrier, from a champion (or so the owner claims) bloodline, and these dogs are supposed to be excellent with kids.

If you want to have a dog and are afraid of bites, I'd suggest a small breed.

And I'll admit, pit bulls, and really all terriers are not for first time dog owners. Terriers do tend to have feisty personalties. But with every dog, it is important to find a good reputable breed who temperment and health checks if you do not want to possibly go through rigorous training with your dog.

And here's a good video.

 
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I feel bad for the breed but I understand why.
Mostly the type of person who owns this breed intends to have the animal do violent acts and its so much easier to ban a dog than it is to off a few thousand people for their disgusting acts.
I dont agree with it,since I myself have had some fierce looking dogs and I also petsit for people wich some vicious looking animals.
Ive litteraly been walking two dobermans and had a kid damn near strangle his dog to death to keep it from coming near us. Ive also had person after person cross the street from me while with them the only reason I made them litteraly walk so close to me was because the sheer look of fear people gave me and I thought if I held them closer people wouldnt run for the hills when seeing me. I also feard if they tried to sniff something by someone the person would assult the dog simply because of its "scary" breed look. Though the dogs where pussies quite honestly the people had more to fear from me than them.
I will say though at first it made me lmfao but after the first few times it began to piss me off how stupid people where with their stigmas.
Its the person who owns the dogs thet are the problem but heaven forbid we do anything to a human

Ive also been bit by some dogs when I was 5...It was 3 chocolate labs that mauled me,they escaped from our neighbors yard regularly and decided id be a good snack:D lol but I still never feared a dog itself only the person who owned them.
 
Dobermans are pretty good dogs and love to please their owners. They can be protective but it is easy to correct this in them with proper socialization. They were one of the only dogs bred for protection. Bascially a guy with the last name of doberman, was a tax collector, and because his job was dangerous, he decided to create the perfect guard dog. Many breeds went in to making this dog including german shepherds, rottweilers, and greyhounds.

The problem is, is that in movies, they tend to be the "villians". Like the evil rich guy who sets his dogs on the good guys. It's always a doberman. And this probably why so many people are afraid of them. I think the reason doberman's are chosen for this role, is that they look scary, and they are very easy to train. Police can train dobermans to attack suspects, and then can call the dog off the person. It's almost perfect to use them for movie roles :( Most people on the set will comment on how nice the dogs actually are.

I have honestly never met a mean doberman. even those that come from abused situations seem to be very friendly towards those of us that work at shelters. Unfortunatnly, they almost never get adopted out and doberman rescues are often full :(

In my experience, small dogs bite the most, but they are often over bred and people tend to baby them which results in them developing small dog syndrom. Dalmations, Chows, and St. Benards are the bigger dog that bites the most people, at least as reported at the shelter. Labs and Golden's also have a higher bite rate, but they are very popular right now and over bred which has a lot to do with why. People also decide that they are all around good dogs and will let children treat them however they want. I get angry when my brother and sister in law let their 11 month old child pull herself up on their 10 year old lab by grabbing and pinching the skin. They comment on how cute it is and how their dog is such a good girl. It's not at all fair to the dog.
 
Some people claim that pit bulls are most likely to turn on their owners and attack at random; no matter how well they are brought up from a pup. In my honest opinion, this could happen to any animal at any given time. Not just pit bulls. So I find banning or even putting them down for their breed to be very wrong. I've known many people with pit bulls that have been attacked by their animal at random and those who have not. My thoughts are that if you are not sure of pit bulls true nature, don't have them around your children until you are. Again; this goes for any animal. Not just a breed of dog. For example; my cat Raven is vicious. <_<
 
Rydia said:
. People also decide that they are all around good dogs and will let children treat them however they want. I get angry when my brother and sister in law let their 11 month old child pull herself up on their 10 year old lab by grabbing and pinching the skin. They comment on how cute it is and how their dog is such a good girl. It's not at all fair to the dog.
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The parents need to make sure their kids know much like people an animal can be irked as well. They just bite. Instead of yell or take toys away.
People need to be more diligent in realizing pets arent stuffed animals and they cant have kids crwling on them and pulling or poking things. The animal might bite no matter how mellow or how well trained. It is after all a real animal and kids are not the brightest of beings and might grab something the dog dosent want grabbed at that particular time
Even my cat bites the hell out of me when I rub her fur the wrong way...
 
In the papers over here in the UK, pitbulls are dangerous, I tend to get scared when one is around, any sort of Doberman too. Mainly because I knew a kid who lived in my street who got bitten by a pitbull.

Here's my problem with him, when they bite, the don't let go, they cling on and on.....and on...its scary to think of. :hmph:
A kid wouldnt have a chance if it provoked one, then in the end the blame would be on the child but also, it might be down to the way the owners raise the dogs or however I have no idea.
But they do scare me a bit.
 
Bite ratios aren't all that reliable. Every dog breed will bite, it all depends on the dog. Cat's claw the shit out of their owners sometimes, just by playing. (My cat scratches me up when he's playing, but he's a big cat, and it happens when they're batting at something in your hand.) But you don't see me rallying to ban cats because cats scratch.

Rottweilers and Doberman's and Pit Bulls were all bred to be aggressive and physically superior to other breeds in terms of physical strength and durability. Rottweilers were used to pull carts, for crying out loud. They herded cattle. Cattle are a bit bigger than sheep, and you need a bigger dog to herd them.

The Doberman was actually bred by a banker, who wanted to protect himself and his money. This breed was meant to be fast, dangerous, and loyal and protective. It was a personal defense dog, through and through.

Pit Bulls, depending on the variation of the breed were bread for bear-baiting or bull-baiting, some (the American Pitbull) was selectively bred for fighting, but was otherwise bred to herd cattle, like the Rottweiler.

Either way you look at it, these dogs were bred and built to be physically powerful. But so what? A lot of animals are physically powerful. Draft horses are incredibly powerful, but no one get's their hair in a knot over them, do they?

The most concerning thing for me is that, when you get down to it, these breeds have a much better chance of killing a person. And, in fact, have killed lots of people. A couple years ago, in Detroit, 3 people were killed by 2 pitbulls that had escaped from their backyard. In terms of fatal attacks, there's a good reason why people are suspicious of pitbulls.

Not just bites. Fatal attacks. A chow can attack you and do you some damage, but ultimately, it was never bred to be a physically dangerous dog. That isn't the same story with these 3 particular breeds. Out of all the dog attacks that happen, these 3 particular breeds are more likely to actually kill you, and I think that is what spurs such a great fear of them.

But that aside --

These breeds were bred for dangerous work, but ALSO bred to be obedient and loyal. That means they were also bred with control in mind. If someone is willing to tackles the bias of owning such a dog, they must also be willing to take responsibility in overseeing the proper training and exposure of this dog. A protective nature is generally what spurs most dog attacks -- sensing that their family or pack is being threatened, the dog attacks. And considering the nature and intent behind the creation of these particular breeds, it's obvious that they'll be more sensitive to any perceived threat and react to it quickly than most other breeds. Taking this propensity into account, and dealing with it properly -- as a knowledgeable and responsible owner should -- is the one special need of these breeds.

Ultimately, even though I had a very bad experience with a pitbull of my own, I know that it was the owner's fault that allowed this dog to get out of hand. It's reckless and lazy owners of these animals that let's their protective nature go unchecked which results in injury or death. I'm positive that if owners of these 3 breeds were to actually do their job, and correctly, we would see a significant drop in fatal attacks by these breeds. The breed should not be punished, uneasy as I may be around pitbulls in particular -- it's the owners that should be held accountable. The reason I'm still uneasy around pitbulls, even having said this, is that I can never really know if the owner is a responsible one. That's where the danger lies.
 
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