Opinion: Pit Bull

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Originally Posted by js

I'm being sarcastic... but if someone wants a little history lesson, it's provided below...





Let's re-cap: American pit bull terriers in general have a higher tendency towards dog aggression and constitute the majority of dogs used for illegal dog fighting in the United States

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That's not the dog's fault. I have a couple friends that are 260ish lbs, and if I was having a people fight, those 2 are the 2 I would "train" to fight. They are the nicest, most soft-spoken guys I know, but they could be "taught" to kill you with their bare hands. If that is how they were brought up, would that be their fault, or their trainers' (parents')?

Pit bulls do make great fight dogs because they are tough as hell, and I have yet to see mine feel pain, even though she is constantly cut up from crawling under the deck in the back yard, or getting beat up by my roommate's dog, or slams her head or body into a wall at a full sprint. That doesn't mean that she has to fight, or is compelled to fight. In fact, I trained her not to even protect herself at the dog park, because everyone would assume that the pit bull is the aggressor.

Excellent point bigrobwoot, that is a very good analogy of something that is not easy to explain.

Thank you. It's something that I'm pretty passionate about, because I used to be scared of pit bulls, until I owned one. I try not to let my points get drown out by all of the emotion I put in my posts about it, so it's good to see part of my point got through

Pit bulls can be great pets. There are extremely loyal and very eager to please their owners. These traits are what makes them so prized as fight dogs. They are not inherently violent dogs, the people that train them for fights *make* them violent. Unless you train them to be agressive, pit bulls are generally gentle mild mannered dogs. When I was a kid I was in a day care center for several years where the people that ran the day care bred/sold pit bulls to supplement their income. Never once did the dogs bite any of the kids in their care. Obviously they did not breed them or train them for fighting. According to a recent study in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science the top three most agressive dogs were the dachsund, chihuahua, and jack russel terrier. It all boils down to proper training in the end though.

Pit Bull's can be the most wonderful dogs and if you get them as a puppy and work with them you should never have a problem. However if you get one in a shelter you don't know how it was raised.

The thing with pit bulls if they snap that jaw can lock on a kids arm and you would have to kill it to get them loose.

I have knows several people that own PBs, and they are great dogs. Very protective of their families. And all the dogs I have met were big puppies.
My niece had a PB named TK short for TurdKnocker because he farted a lot as a pup.
TK was a big dog, but he was a very loving dog. The entire family, not just my nieces family was heart broken when TK was stolen by a dog fighting ring in the Jeff City Mo area.
We got him back but he was near dead.
She nursed him back to health, (they thought) but there were problems that the vet did not catch (problems/injuries) from being forced to fight. TK passed away less than 5 months after he was found.
PBs are great dogs, as are most all dogs. They are as bad or good as they are raised to be. Much like children.

As an avid dog lover I find it hard to say that I don't like pitbulls, but from what I have witnessed I just don't trust them.

I agree with alot of the posts about it being on the owner. One of my best friends has a Pit Bull and it is a great dog. That dog knows who is the leader of the pack though. He trains with that dog several times a week. When I say train alot of it is done while they are out playing and getting excerisise. I can't imagine that dog hurting anyone or any other dog unless he was provoked to do so. I imagine he would fight to the death if someone was hurting my buddy.
I have never owned a PB but I have owned other dogs. The hardest to train I ever had was a black lab. He was a good dog but just hard to train. The sweetest dog I ever owned was a Golden Retriever. The smartest and most trainable 2 dogs I have owned have been German Shepards. In the event my family gets another dog I will be going for another one.
I say if you are going to be a good owner and train with your dog and let him know who is the pack leader go get a Pit Bull if that is what you want. You probably won't be sorry.

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Originally Posted by omegajb

The thing with pit bulls if they snap that jaw can lock on a kids arm and you would have to kill it to get them loose.

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I agree with the rest of your post omega, but there is no such thing as a locking jaw. The breed is just more stubborn, or has more drive, however you would like to word it. The locking jaw has been a myth for some time now, and is in no way real.

i own 2 full blooded pits as well as a half rott half pitt and a full blooded 110-120 lb rott
pitts are very affectionate and very active dogs .its all about socializing them around people.

A Guy I know had a pit bull mix. It was completely unruly and frankly, stupid. It bit his kid. He got sick of it so took it out into the country and let it go. He said if it wanted to act like a wild animal it could go live like a wild animal.

OK for some reason these discussions irk the crap out of me. Look at it like this. A number of years ago Dobies were consider the bad breed and aggressive. The one my parents had hen I was little would let me pull it's tail roll around on it. My mom had my dressed on sunday and I wanted to go swimming in my kiddie pool. After she told me several times no I bolted out the door towards the pool. She picked me up went to spank me and the Dobie grabbed her by the wrist. Didnt draw blood and wouldnt let her spank me. She would get between me and the garbage man when he would come. Someone ended up taking her. My aunt who lived down a few yards away gae a description of the car but nothing was done after.

Forward a couple of years later. Dobie was considered a good breed and Rotties were the bad ones. Now Rotties arent bad and pits are the bad ones. I have seen aggressive shit-zus, (since I cant spell it the taco bell dogs), labs, etc. They are known to be full of energy and be agressive. The majority has to do with the owner. As with any dog it is best to get them when they are a pup and raise them how you want them to be.

Working as a garbage man I got chased by several dogs. There was a gorgeous pitbull that was by the fence. I would walk up to get he trash can and he would do the whole submit to authority by laying down. His cropped tail just a wagging. So not being scared of dogs I reached over the fence. He jumped up and licked the crap out of me. Needless to say every Tuesday morning abou 7:30 I would pet her and she would get a dog treat. I hate the fact they moved.

My lanlords husband has a pit that is nice as can be. I went to a guy who raises them. Only one was semi agressive. The rest even the older ones just wanted attention. Pitbulls are the one of the few breeds that has never tried to come after me. The worst being just mutts. Like lab and collie mixes stuff like that.

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Originally Posted by algore is a fatwoman

A Guy I know had a pit bull mix. It was completely unruly and frankly, stupid. It bit his kid. He got sick of it so took it out into the country and let it go. He said if it wanted to act like a wild animal it could go live like a wild animal.

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Stupid people like this shouldnt own animals to begin with. You can always find someone who can take care of it and give it the attention and discipline they need.

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Originally Posted by algore is a fatwoman

A Guy I know had a pit bull mix. It was completely unruly and frankly, stupid. It bit his kid. He got sick of it so took it out into the country and let it go. He said if it wanted to act like a wild animal it could go live like a wild animal.

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Stupid people like this shouldnt own animals to begin with. You can always find someone who can take care of it and give it the attention and discipline they need. Someone who just lets a animal who has been domesticated out in the wild fend for himself. Should be dropped off in the middle of a ton of woods and made for them to defend for himself with his barehands.

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Originally Posted by algore is a fatwoman

A Guy I know had a pit bull mix. It was completely unruly and frankly, stupid. It bit his kid. He got sick of it so took it out into the country and let it go. He said if it wanted to act like a wild animal it could go live like a wild animal.

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Your friend sounds like the exact kind of moron who gives this breed a bad name. People like him should not be allowed to own a dog, let alone have kids.:smt076

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Originally Posted by falchunt

Your friend sounds like the exact kind of moron who gives this breed a bad name. People like him should not be allowed to own a dog, let alone have kids.:smt076

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I have to agree with you. On the other hand, attacks like what happened today (see story below) should NOT be happening for any reason whatsoever, EVER.


Dog pack escapes yard, mauls Fontana kids

FONTANA, Calif. (KABC) -- A pack of dogs escaped from a fenced yard in Fontana Monday and mauled three kids. One was released from the hospital, another needed 327 staples and one is still hospitalized in critical condition.

Police said five dogs got out of their owner's yard and attacked the siblings, ages 5, 6 and 7, on Tokay Avenue, just south of Arrow Boulevard. The mother of the victims was taking her children out for a walk to the park when the dogs, a mastiff, a purebred pitbull and three other mixed dogs, attacked.

Authorities said the injuries to 5-year-old Destiny Colon were the worst. The mastiff punctured her lung, broke her rib cage and ripped various muscle tissue. As of Tuesday evening, she was still at Loma Linda University Childrens Hospital on ventilator support.

Fontana police said someone at the hospital called after the attack to ask if they had recovered any muscle tissue because if they had, they might be able to reattach it.

"You couldn't ask for too much more of a tragic situation here. You're on your way to a park to take your kids for a reward after school, and you're attacked by a pack of dogs," said Sgt. Jeff Decker of Fontana police.

"I felt helpless. I couldn't help her, but I had five other kids I was trying to help," said Josie Arellano, the mother of the attacked children.

"They knocked us to the ground, and when I turned around, they had Destiny and they were brutally attacking her, biting on her. There were two dogs that were trying to demolish her right there," described Arellano.

"I felt like they were going to eat her alive right there, and I was screaming and some kid happened to hear me, and he came out of nowhere and he started throwing rocks at the dogs. My son came and started throwing rocks, but they wouldn't let her go," Arellano described through tears.

One officer said he was forced to shoot and kill a pit bull because it was so aggressive.

The other dogs of mixed breeds were removed by Animal Control.

"Probably the scariest I've seen in the 12 years I've been doing this," described Jamie Simmons of San Bernardino Animal Control.

"Anytime you have a pack mentality of dogs, it creates a dangerous situation, and I'm relieved they're here and not at large," said Simmons.

"The mother informed us that one of the dogs had actually pulled a child from her arms, and tossed the child around like a rag doll," said Sgt. Jeff Decker of San Bernardino Animal Control.

Residents are furious that something like this had to happen in the first place.

One resident, who has been in the neighborhood for 30 years, says she knows the aggressiveness of these animals well.

"They would come after horses, after people. Everybody was in danger. I'm not surprised," she said. "When people have dogs that are dangerous and they can get out of the yard, what can you expect? Those people need to be stopped."

The dogs live on another street and were being held by Animal Control. They are scheduled to be put down.

At the very least, the dogs' owner will be getting a citation. More serious criminal charges could be pending against the owner if it's determined that he did not do enough to secure the dogs.
(Copyright ©2010 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?se...ire&id=7252812

Yes but see it wasnt just the pitbull, so you cant blame that on the breed. Couple of things that arent mentioned. How they were raised and treated, and did the kids ever go outside and play and throw stuff or poke the dogs or do anything to provoke them.

My dog has never bit anyone. Neighbors say the little girl walked up to the fence and he tried to bite her. I was sitting outside for fresh air the other night and one of her sisters and her sister's friends was outside. I heard him bark and knew why he was barking. I heard I will shut him up and he wimpered. I was like what the hell then one was like ssshhhhh he cant find us. So I grabbed my flashlight and shined it on them they ran in.

I walked over to talk to my neighbor who basically told me to prove it, keep my dog inside instead of our fenced in property and get off his. I lost my cool and told him I would throw rocks at his kids next time they were outside late and yelling and screaming. Then he ran off at the mouth threatening to shoot me and blah blah blah.

Sad story but we dont know everything and you cant blame one breed. Not to sound too racist. But I can tell you all the dog attack storie I read on line 95% of the time envolve Mexican or someone os hispanic descedant.

OK we are getting way off point, as usual. The only thing one can take from the story Bear listed, is that a dog is an animal that has to be respected, and must have responsible owners. A horribly tragic story, but this story has nothing to do with Pit Bulls as a breed, or their tendancies. If anything, you could say that mixed dogs cannot be trusted because there were three of them in this story that attacked the kids. Even this would be a foolish statement. It seems fairly obvious to me that the owners in this story are at fault. It sounds like they had too many dogs in the first place, and they weren't paying any attention to ANY of them. Once again, it comes down to the environment that the animals were in.

I voted for the second one. I feel like it's all about how you bring the dog up. I have a few freinds that have more than one Pitt and there the nicest coolest dogs ever. But if your mean and whoop on it of course there going to be mean and may attack with no warning

I have only been personally around about 5 Pits. And they were all more aggressive than other breeds I have been around.

57% of all human fatalities from dog bites over the last five years were attributed to pitbulls.49% over the last 30 years.It looks like this breed has given its self a bad name.I think this is a more aggressive breed just like my chow,but with proper training and socialization this aggressive nature can be overcome.You can't just throw this breed out in the backyard or on a chain and ignore it except for feeding because nothing good will come of it.It takes work and training to get a good dog.

I want one, I think the only reason they tend to be aggressive is the owners and training they get... If they are bread to be aggressive they will be

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Originally Posted by tc15

57% of all human fatalities from dog bites over the last five years were attributed to pitbulls.49% over the last 30 years.It looks like this breed has given its self a bad name.I think this is a more aggressive breed just like my chow,but with proper training and socialization this aggressive nature can be overcome.You can't just throw this breed out in the backyard or on a chain and ignore it except for feeding because nothing good will come of it.It takes work and training to get a good dog.

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Something to consider tc15,

Let's say for a moment that German shepherds were the "fighting dog" of choice by your local redneck. Lets also assume that he has been training 30 German Shepherds to fight for 6 years. Many other locals follow suit, because this gentleman fighting GS has been very successful. Next thing you know, there are 40 people bringing GS to the dog fights, and soon after many people are purchasing champion fighters to protect their home, because they scare people. I would say the odds are pretty high that a dog with a history of training in violence, in a new environment, will eventually cause problems.

Now knowing what you already know about German Shepherds, would this situation make the breed self responsible for their bad name?

Let me help you with that, the answer is no.

Pit Bulls, as a breed, are less "aggressive" or have a better temperament than most other breeds on the planet. Cocker Spaniels, Chihuahuas, Labs, sheepdogs, Rottweilers, Toy Poodles, Dachshunds, Giant Schnauzers, and Miniature Pinschers are all considered to be more naturally aggressive than Pits.

The media always seems to target a certain breed to push negative stereotypes and a poor image onto. For a long time it was the Doberman who was the "vicious beast" of the dog world, now it is the Pit Bull. I believe that some day the negative attention will pass, and people will see this breed for what it is. A fun, athletic, proud breed who are loyal to their owners.
:smt1099

You could torment and beat the hell out of a poodle until it got the point of being mean and dangerous.
I think it's ignorant for people to say pitbulls are dangerous. Please do not be offended if you suffer from pitbullaphobia. Cars are dangerous...if you intentionally try to run somebody over. Same way pitbulls are dangerous...if you train them to attack people. I've trained my black labs to attack somebodythat isn't supposed to be on my property. But because the pitbull can do more damage
My last roomate had a pitbull. Nicest dog in the world. You could put your face in her feed bowl while she was eating, she would probably back up until you were done eating. An extremely rare, well mannered, nice pitbull? Nope, just one that was raised right. I would trust my kids to pull on her ears and yank on her tail, and the thought would never cross my mind that she would hurt them.
It's all about publicity. One cop gets attacked by a pitbull that hits channel 6 news with a dumbass for an owner and they get a bad rap. Sure they're capable of ripping your arm off, but only if you teach them to use that capability. I honestly feel bad the dog because it's probably gonna get put to sleep, when it's the owner that needs a shot of go-to-sleep-for-good.
I have the ability to shoot anything I want. If I choose to go out and shoot everything I see does that make it the guns fault..or mine?
Bottom line, pitbulls are like guns. In the wrong hands, they could hurt or kill somebody. But it wouldn't be the guns fault, nor the dog. It's the owner that doesn't appreciate or respect what it is capable of.

IMHO it is a two part problem. Pits were bred as tenacious fighting dogs. Too many people train (abuse) them to be dangerous animals. How many hoody types do you see with violent pits. It has become a drugs-R-us icon.

You should take the Pitbull test LINK and you might be surprised at what you thought was a pitbull. Just click on the pictures after you guess of course.