Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

They ARE bred that way...just like retrievers are bred to retrieve, and collies are bred to herd sheep, pit bulls have historically been bred to be aggressive. I don't know the exact history of the pit bull, but there is definite;y a breeding element. It's not the dog's fault, humans made them that way. It's just like how golden's have a higher tendency for cancer. it's the way they have been bred over centuries

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

Message edited 9/18/2006 12:45:46 PM.

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

I think many breeds are likely to bite humans, but pit bulls and other powerful dog breeds are more likely to leave permanent damage and/or cause death.

From Dog Bite Law:

There have been many news reports about deaths caused by dogs in the USA. The attention given to the homicides has put the spotlight on pit bulls and Rottweilers. There is a very good reason for focusing on these two breeds: in recent years, they have usually been the number one and number two canine killers of humans. (See below, The breeds most likely to kill.) It therefore is correct to single out those two breeds when talking about canine homicides, because those two breeds lately have caused half or more of the deaths -- a disgraceful statistic whether it is regarded as the fault of the dogs, their breeders, their owners, or all three.

However, the focus on death cases may leave the public with the false impression that pit bulls and Rottweilers are responsible for the dog bite epidemic. It is a much broader problem than that, involving all dogs and all dog owners. While pit bulls and Rottweilers inflict a disproportionate number of serious and even fatal injuries, the dog bite epidemic involves many different breeds, and results from many different causes. A clear distinction needs to be made between canine homicides (i.e., incidents in which dogs kill people) and the dog bite epidemic.

"Studies indicate that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF (i.e., dog bite related fatalities) reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996....[T]he data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." (Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.)

Other breeds were also responsible for homicides, but to a much lesser extent. A 1997 study of dog bite fatalities in the years 1979 through 1996 revealed that the following breeds had killed one or more persons: pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers, chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards and Akitas. (Dog Bite Related Fatalities," Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 30, 1997, Vol. 46, No. 21, pp. 463 et. seq.) Since 1975, fatal attacks have been attributed to dogs from at least 30 breeds.

Any dog, treated harshly or trained to attack, may bite a person. Any dog can be turned into a dangerous dog. The owner or handler most often is responsible for making a dog into something dangerous.
An irresponsible owner or dog handler might create a situation that places another person in danger by a dog, without the dog itself being dangerous, as in the case of the Pomeranian that killed the infant (see above).
Any individual dog may be a good, loving pet, even though its breed is considered to be potentially dangerous. A responsible owner can win the love and respect of a dog, no matter its breed. One cannot look at an individual dog, recognize its breed, and then state whether or not it is going to attack.
Pit bulls and Rottweilers also are the dogs most likely to be involved in a serial attack (an instance of a dog injuring someone after having injured a person or an animal on a previous occasion) or rampage attack (an instance of a dog attacking multiple people or animals during a single incident).

Message edited 9/18/2006 12:51:31 PM.

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

My brother had a pit bull who was the sweetest most loyal dog - so no, I am not afraid of them. I do believe that to a certain extent the breeding of a dog contributes to any aggressive behavior.

However, I do not think we can discount "breed charectaristics". For instance, we have a pug and a jack russell that have been raised the same way. The pug is the most gentle creature on this earth - so happy go lucky and a little lazy too. The Jack on the other hand, does exhbit much more aggresive behavior, is more territorial etc. Both dogs, depite how we have raised them are pretty true to their breeds.

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

EVERYONE is afraid of my dog... (well besides my dh, my gramma, my sister, and my mil and fil.... otherwise everyone is afraid of her... she is an american bulldog, and people think she looks partly like a pitbull... it ridiculous... my neighbors freak if we walk her...

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

Posted by MrsTC

Posted by Lolita4Life

as ive said in another post the only dogs that scare me is Golden Retrievers

why


eta: i want a dobie!! i love them.

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

Not afraid of anybreed of dogs.

But if I saw one roaming, BIG OR SMALL, id be cautious and wouldnt attempt to bring it to a shelter by myself. Id call someone or some type of agency or something to aid me.

Message edited 9/18/2006 1:03:28 PM.

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

Message edited 9/18/2006 1:04:44 PM.

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

Posted by MrsTC

Posted by Lolita4Life

as ive said in another post the only dogs that scare me is Golden Retrievers

why


eta: i want a dobie!! i love them.

Message edited 9/18/2006 1:26:07 PM.

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

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Message edited 9/18/2006 1:30:52 PM.

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

I have a pitt/mix she is the biggest mush. I know that some breeds do get a bad rap and some breeds are better reccomended for children.

I wouldn't leave any child alone with any kind of dog that they didn't know. Just like I make sure my dog is always fenced in or on a lease.

I haven't met anyone while walking her that seemed afraid of her you can tell she has some kind of bully breed in her.

I usually tellpeople she's a boxer mix because we beleive she does have boxer in her.

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

I had a pit bull....the most wonderful dog ever!!!!

Everyone was always afraid of him at first, but eventually he won everyone over, including people afraid of dogs, and just general non dog lovers


good example...my MIL agreed to baby sit Copper for me once, even though she never had a dog, and didn't really care for them, but I was in a bind, so she offered.

The first night, Copper was growling at her, scared her to death, til she realized he just wanted to hop on the bed and sleep with her.

She ended up loving him like he was her own, wanted him to come over whenever possible, and Copper would always get greeted before DH or I. He truely was a human stuck in a dog body.

I looove pibulls, and if you look at their history they were meant to be a human's companion.

Re: spinoff: Pit Bulls

we have 2 pit bulls in our complex and they are the sweetest dogs ever- my pug is more aggressive than them Since knowing them I have def changed my opinion about pit bulls.