I know many of us here, including myself are fans of the breed and the others closely aligned with it. I do worry about the breed in the states, I wonder what could be done to save the breed. I get a bad feeling that Pitbull bans are going to be a national crusade in the future. I am aware alot of counties have already done this.
But what is to blame?
Is it simply the general idea, of the bad irresponsible owner?
Is it the breed itself?
I dont own any pitbulls but have always been a fan. I’m curious as to other people thoughts on the matter.
[quote]bdocksaints75 wrote:
I’m no dog expert but why is it that I only here about people/children getting mauled by pit pulls.[/quote]
His first link explains it pretty well. It is not that they bite more frequently, they just don’t stop.
I don’t have a ton of experience with them but my neighbor next to my cabin has one that is the sweetest damn thing, that has no issues with other animals or people. With that said it is eighty pounds of solid muscle and if grabbed you there would be no getting loose.
The last time I adopted a dog, I was very close to adopting a pitbull, a beutiful seemingly friendly dog with a head like a cadillac, was just awesome. At the time however my daughter was 6 years old, and I just could not take the chance. I have heard of pits being at one time called nanny dogs as in the past they were kept with children. So many of these attacks are seemingly unprovoked.
[quote]bdocksaints75 wrote:
I’m no dog expert but why is it that I only here about people/children getting mauled by pit pulls.[/quote]
His first link explains it pretty well. It is not that they bite more frequently, they just don’t stop.
I don’t have a ton of experience with them but my neighbor next to my cabin has one that is the sweetest damn thing, that has no issues with other animals or people. With that said it is eighty pounds of solid muscle and if grabbed you there would be no getting loose.[/quote]
I agree, most dog bites come from a the chihuahua however its a chihuahua and will not enduce much damage. My dogs are sweet and as patient as could be, even they have their limits I have seen. If my dogs were pits or a very powerful breed the one or two incidents I did have could have had horrible consequences.
[quote]bdocksaints75 wrote:
I’m no dog expert but why is it that I only here about people/children getting mauled by pit pulls.[/quote]
His first link explains it pretty well. It is not that they bite more frequently, they just don’t stop.
I don’t have a ton of experience with them but my neighbor next to my cabin has one that is the sweetest damn thing, that has no issues with other animals or people. With that said it is eighty pounds of solid muscle and if grabbed you there would be no getting loose.[/quote]
That is not exclusive to pitbulls however. Just watch a video with a K9 and you’ll sometimes see the dog not let go after being outed and the officer has to physically get the dog off. And these are dogs that are trained to release on command. It’s just that the average person who owns a German Shepherd owns a show line type and not a working line so most don’t see that side of things. Even fewer people own a Malinois which are considered by many to be biting machines.
[quote]bdocksaints75 wrote:
I’m no dog expert but why is it that I only here about people/children getting mauled by pit pulls.[/quote]
His first link explains it pretty well. It is not that they bite more frequently, they just don’t stop.
I don’t have a ton of experience with them but my neighbor next to my cabin has one that is the sweetest damn thing, that has no issues with other animals or people. With that said it is eighty pounds of solid muscle and if grabbed you there would be no getting loose.[/quote]
That is not exclusive to pitbulls however. Just watch a video with a K9 and you’ll sometimes see the dog not let go after being outed and the officer has to physically get the dog off. And these are dogs that are trained to release on command. It’s just that the average person who owns a German Shepherd owns a show line type and not a working line so most don’t see that side of things. Even fewer people own a Malinois which are considered by many to be biting machines. [/quote]
I never said it was exclusive to pittbulls, but most dogs don’t put up a sustained attack. The family lab that bites is likely to let go after a kick in the ribs, not so with a pitt. German shepherds have fallen out of favor because they are known to bite. Beautiful intelligent dogs but I have met more messed up GS than any other breed aside from dalmatians.
I bred and still own three. Pits are the most loyal, loving, goofy, sweet and awesome breed you’ll ever come across. People forget (or never knew) that Pits were Americas dog during the first half of the century. The problem has nothing to do with the dogs. It’s entirely on the shoulders of the owner(s).
I’ve got a half lab / pit that turns 2 tomorrow … Sweetest, smartest, most obedient dog I have ever owned
At his age he still has a lot of puppy in him so likes to play and can get a little excited / rough … But even in the middle of being excited he pulls up when he’s around my 2 young boys, calms down, and gives them a big lick …
I guess the potential is always there - they ARE animals - but I wouldn’t hesitate to get another mixed or full bred pit in the future
As has been stated before, it isn’t really that pits are more prone to biting or attacking than other dogs. Its just when (if) they do have that one incident that most breeds have for whatever reason, the damage they do is much greater and there “snaps” seem to be more sustained.
Also, the other part of this is that pit bulls seem to attract a certain type of owner in a lot of instances that create a problem dog. Not saying that about everyone that has pitbulls or even the majority, to clarify.
I owned 2 pitties, they were good loyal dogs. But where I am they banned them. You have to have insurance and muzzled dog at all times in public. They also had to be fixed. Insurance was 10g’s to keep a dog. So basically they are forcing the breed to be removed from the area.
My one dog had issues as she got older (fixed female age 8) with aggression towards small children and small dogs. Also a big distrust for strangers. The male was a dopey clown looking for food. Hated aggression in any form. Even play fighting. If they both knew you they would lick you to death, specially the male. I eventually had to put the female down.
I had a baby and it was getting out of hand. Nothing happened but I was not taking the chance either. Cause my kid or someones kid could be seriously harmed. I could not live with that. She was my dog and my responsibility. We eventually gave the male away to a woman that loved pitties and she gave him a good home outside of the area cause who could afford the insurance.
I don’t agree with these banning laws etc. But I do agree with licenses for owners not the dogs. With strict registration and very stiff penalties if your dog(s) do anything to harm others. Your ass goes to prison and your dog is put down period. If your dog is so good and well behaved put your freedom on the line. If not maybe you should not own a dog that can cause harm to others. And I am not just talking about pitties. All kinds of breeds used for aggression. Rotties german shepards etc. Anything big enough to cause serious harm.
I see people all the time with these bigger dogs to feed there stupid ego. Time to make them take some responsibility for them in a serious manor.
[quote]bdocksaints75 wrote:
I’m no dog expert but why is it that I only here about people/children getting mauled by pit pulls.[/quote]
His first link explains it pretty well. It is not that they bite more frequently, they just don’t stop.
I don’t have a ton of experience with them but my neighbor next to my cabin has one that is the sweetest damn thing, that has no issues with other animals or people. With that said it is eighty pounds of solid muscle and if grabbed you there would be no getting loose.[/quote]
I agree, most dog bites come from a the chihuahua however its a chihuahua and will not enduce much damage. My dogs are sweet and as patient as could be, even they have their limits I have seen. If my dogs were pits or a very powerful breed the one or two incidents I did have could have had horrible consequences.
[/quote]
Exactly, one of my childhood friends was mauled by the neighbors rottweiler. She nearly bleed to death in the street. 20 years later she has huge scars from puncture wounds on her thighs.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
I bred and still own three. Pits are the most loyal, loving, goofy, sweet and awesome breed you’ll ever come across. People forget (or never knew) that Pits were Americas dog during the first half of the century. The problem has nothing to do with the dogs. It’s entirely on the shoulders of the owner(s). [/quote]
So the dog’s ability to inflict damage has nothing to do with the dog?
[quote]bdocksaints75 wrote:
I’m no dog expert but why is it that I only here about people/children getting mauled by pit pulls.[/quote]
Because a Pit Bull bite makes a nice excessively biased news headline. Has a lot more likelihood of being read than a Labradoodle bite. I own a Pit/American Bulldog mix and she’s a ball of energy but the most loving dog I’ve ever met in my life. Basically an 80lb lap dog that absolutely loves people. It’s ALWAYS the owners fault if their dog, no matter the breed, bites someone in my opinion.
Either through sleazy motives like training the dog to be aggressive for fighting or to try and look like a cool guy or general lack of socialization/training combined with not properly fencing or leashing the dog. Teaching a dog to be mean and nasty is easy, it’s basically the same thing as taking a 3 or 4 year old and teaching them how cool it is to shoot guns at people. The kid/dog has the mental ability to learn by mimicking and encouragement but not enough to know right from wrong.
I’ve had neighborhood dogs run up with teeth bared and bite at my dog on walks because the owners thought they didn’t have to leash theirs. My PITBULL is such a calm dog that without making a sound or anything she simply uses her body to knock them away and we move on. Those dog owners think I should be forgiving and/or think its funny but if I let my dog off leash and she pulled the same stunt, they’d try to have me put her to sleep.
I have recently seen groups forming to educate people on what good dogs Pits are and that is very encouraging as well as there have been some recent stories published in news where Pits saved children and or owners lives. This is a topic I’m extremely passionate about and breed specific legislation is criminal and once again makes it so human beings don’t have to take responsibility for their actions which is the real crime. /end rant, sorry for the long, rambling post
[quote]MattyXL wrote:
I get a bad feeling that Pitbull bans are going to be a national crusade in the future. I am aware alot of counties have already done this. [/quote]
Long-term, it’ll be fine. Breed-specific legislation does occur in some areas, but I do believe it’s a “fad”, for lack of a better term.
‘6 More States May Outlaw Breed-Specific Legislation’ [17 states already have something similar on the books]
The ASPCA, CDC, and American Veterinary Medical Association are on record against BSL because their professional opinion, based on studies they’ve performed, compiled, and/or reviewed, shows little no to actual evidence of breed being a significant contributing factor in dog bite injuries.
I’m on my second pit, a 45-pound American Staffordshire. Rescued her from a shelter where she’d been turned in after being saved from a backyard fighting ring. She wasn’t breaking/turning aggressive, so she was likely in line to be bait or a breeder. She gets along fine with our two cats, and is submissive with other dogs at the dog park.
Before her, we had the girl in the pic above, some pit-lab mix about 75 pounds. We literally took her in as a stray who was wandering on our front yard. Super-sweetheart. At the time we rescued her, the youngest kiddo in the house was 13 and we still had two cats, but we felt the dog was safe after observing her general behavior, kept in the backyard and garage, for a week.
We also ended up finding her original owner, who said they raised her from a pup in a loving home (They told us we could keep her, as their kids were off at college and she’d been lacking attention).
[quote]bdocksaints75 wrote:
I’m no dog expert but why is it that I only here about people/children getting mauled by pit pulls.[/quote]
“Pit bull” isn’t a breed, it’s a very general category based on a very general physical stereotype. And actually, this recent study from the AVMA shows that media-reported breed is only accurate about 17% of the time.
“For 401 dogs described in various media accounts, reported breed differed for 124 (30.9%); for 346 dogs with both media and animal control breed reports, breed differed for 139 (40.2%). Valid breed determination was possible for only 45 (17.6%) DBRFs [dog bite-related fatalities]”
That study also has some very interesting info about the most influential factors in dog bite-related fatalities. Stating, “Most DBRFs were characterized by coincident, preventable factors; breed was not one of these. Study results supported previous recommendations for multifactorial approaches, instead of single-factor solutions such as breed-specific legislation, for dog bite prevention.”
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
I bred and still own three. Pits are the most loyal, loving, goofy, sweet and awesome breed you’ll ever come across. People forget (or never knew) that Pits were Americas dog during the first half of the century. The problem has nothing to do with the dogs. It’s entirely on the shoulders of the owner(s). [/quote]
Agree 100%, love the pic. looks quite a bit like mine. Yes Pits are big strong dogs, but if they are properly cared for they aren’t attackers and owners should be held responsible for their dog’s actions not the dog.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
I bred and still own three. Pits are the most loyal, loving, goofy, sweet and awesome breed you’ll ever come across. People forget (or never knew) that Pits were Americas dog during the first half of the century. The problem has nothing to do with the dogs. It’s entirely on the shoulders of the owner(s). [/quote]
So the dog’s ability to inflict damage has nothing to do with the dog?
[/quote]
Not even remotely close to what I said. Pits are alphas. Strong, fast, incredibly bright and naturally aggressive. If you train to accentuate that aggressiveness, they’re terminators. If you train 'em with love, respect, loyalty and positive/negative reinforcement, they’re teddy bears. I agree 100% that there needs to be a screening process with the “aggressive” breeds. Last thing I want to see is another hoodrat putting an innocent dog through hell so he can line his pockets.
Chris Colucci, Great statistics and well thought out argument unlike my less scientific rant. Great to hear you rescued a Pit, kudos. Ours was found on the side of a city street in a box covered in fleas, very sad that people can do stuff like that to dogs. Pretty much have to be an unrepentant sociopath.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
I bred and still own three. Pits are the most loyal, loving, goofy, sweet and awesome breed you’ll ever come across. People forget (or never knew) that Pits were Americas dog during the first half of the century. The problem has nothing to do with the dogs. It’s entirely on the shoulders of the owner(s). [/quote]
So the dog’s ability to inflict damage has nothing to do with the dog?
[/quote]
Not even remotely close to what I said. Pits are alphas. Strong, fast, incredibly bright and naturally aggressive. If you train to accentuate that aggressiveness, they’re terminators. If you train 'em with love, respect, loyalty and positive/negative reinforcement, they’re teddy bears. I agree 100% that there needs to be a screening process with the “aggressive” breeds. Last thing I want to see is another hoodrat putting an innocent dog through hell so he can line his pockets.
[/quote]
I own Boston Terriers who are teddy bears…but this argument seems perfectly reasonable.
