[siberian mom]

i am a groomer and come across a ton of breeds. i would trust a pitbull before i would trust a yokie to not bite me. they just need to be raised by good people and very well socialized. but that goes for any breed. i have seen some pretty nasty golden retrievers out there to and there belieeved to be one of the greatest family pets. so much for all those bad pitbull belifes out there.

[Jen D]

Originally Posted by siberian mom

i am a groomer and come across a ton of breeds. i would trust a pitbull before i would trust a yokie to not bite me. they just need to be raised by good people and very well socialized. but that goes for any breed. i have seen some pretty nasty golden retrievers out there to and there belieeved to be one of the greatest family pets. so much for all those bad pitbull belifes out there.

That was great and so true, I have been bit a few times and never by a Bully breed and I am around them all the time.

Originally Posted by Curbside Prophet

Aggression is a part of every dog's repertoire. It's how dogs resolve conflics in their ritualized behavior. Some believe certain breeds are genetically prone to aggression, well it's true, dogs are part predators and this can't be denied. Then some take it further and say that certain breeds are genetically predisposed to either dog on dog aggression or dog on human aggression...this IMO, can't be neatly defined with any kind of certainty. All we can neatly define is that some dogs are harder to train than others (harder means you need a smarter handler, not a smarter dog), even among the same litter. Is this caused by screwed up genetics...possibly, not entirely IMO. It's always nature and nurture, it's never one or the other...it's both.

Larger dogs and bully breeds are disadvantaged by being too powerful for the common dog handler. So it's just easier for the common dog handler to blame the dog versus the dog handler itself. Kinda unfair IMO, but if these dogs are ever to find a place among us, excellent breeders need to take a hold of the dogs being produced, and handlers need to be better equiped to own such strong dogs. It will take both IMO, not one or the other.

I love what you wrote and I also think that their are more small dog bites not reported because medical attention is not needed.

[Bitza]

I love Pitties. Wonderful dogs. I have a friend who has two, she loves them more than anything.
This website is great, American Temperament Test Society.
If you look at the stats it compares breeds. On Page 1 the Pitties rule over the Basenji's and Australian Shepherds.
Makes people think.

[shitz_tease]

Its not the type of dog its the owner. I work at boarding kennels and i see plenty of pit bulls, 90% have a beautiful nature. same with staffy,german sheperds,bullmastif ect... Owner/training not breed.

[puzzledbypets]

I love pits however the only way i would own one was if i found a reputable breeder and could cough up the $2,000 for one. The recent popularity has led to a lot of backyard breeders. People who know nothing about the breed or the history of their own dogs are breeding just to make a profit. Theyre inbreeding dogs and breeding them with othe breeds (like labs) that have a completly different skull shape...i could go on for days its not only pits the same thing was done to dalmations when i was a kid It drives me nuts to see a perfectly good breed ruined by human greed and stupidity

[DogAdvocat]

Originally Posted by xoxluvablexox

I really fail to understand how some people seem to think some breeds are more aggresive then others. It's not about the breed it's about the dog and the way it's raised to behave.

So you're saying that if you took a dachshund, and raised it properly, it wouldn't have a desire to dig? If you raised a sighthound properly, it wouldn't have the desire to run, especially after perceived prey? A properly raised basset wouldn't have a desire to follow scent trails on the ground?

One of the things we tell people in choosing a breed is to learn about what the breed was originally bred for, because that's going to tell a lot about their nature and whether the breed would be good for the person's lifestyle. Are you suggesting that's not true? Maybe we could properly raise a basset to be a sighthound?

This isn't meant to be argumentative, but just to show you that the breeds, including pit bulls, are going to follow certain patterns, and you just can't take what the breed was bred for, out of the equation.

In my opinion, a dog is based on 4 things. One is breed type.

Two is parentage, if a breeder continually chooses (selectively breeds) dogs with good temperaments, then the dog you get is more likely (not a guarantee yet) to have a good temperament. If the breeder throws any two dogs together that s/he has available, without concern for temperament, then you have potential disaster. And if the mother dog has an aggressive nature, she's the one that is teaching her puppies to be dogs.

Three is socialization. This is tied with "two" above in that the puppies can imprint on the mother dog's reactions to human involvement with her puppies. But just on it's own, if the breeder isn't properly socializing the pups, there's going to be more of a chance of problems.

And then number four, is how they are raised and trained. But if they don't have a good background (numbers 1, 2, 3) then training is a crap shoot, IMO, especially when we're talking about the average person doing the training.

[big girl beagle]

Sorry but the fact is the breed is bred to guard and kill.They have a monstrous little look and with theyre scary barks,sadly bite is worser than bark.In fact they are banned in britain,china,france,australia and even in florida.They are a danger to pedestrians and children and believe me in south africa we have more pitbull attacks a year than three other dogs of any combination put together.A bill is being addressed to make the breed extinct from SA,namibia,zimbabwe,zambia,angola,malawi and botswana.I did my research.

[Jen D]

Originally Posted by puzzledbypets

I love pits however the only way i would own one was if i found a reputable breeder and could cough up the $2,000 for one. The recent popularity has led to a lot of backyard breeders. People who know nothing about the breed or the history of their own dogs are breeding just to make a profit. Theyre inbreeding dogs and breeding them with othe breeds (like labs) that have a completly different skull shape...i could go on for days its not only pits the same thing was done to dalmations when i was a kid It drives me nuts to see a perfectly good breed ruined by human greed and stupidity

I think you made alot of good points but I do have to say that from doing rescue, training at the Humane Society, and an area pound I have come across alot of friendly Pits.

Originally Posted by big girl beagle

Sorry but the fact is the breed is bred to guard and kill.They have a monstrous little look and with theyre scary barks,sadly bite is worser than bark.In fact they are banned in britain,china,france,australia and even in florida.They are a danger to pedestrians and children and believe me in south africa we have more pitbull attacks a year than three other dogs of any combination put together.A bill is being addressed to make the breed extinct from SA,namibia,zimbabwe,zambia,angola,malawi and botswana.I did my research.

I was in Fl last month and they are not banned in all of FL, they are banned in Miami.

[cbow]

Originally Posted by big girl beagle

Sorry but the fact is the breed is bred to guard and kill.They have a monstrous little look and with theyre scary barks,sadly bite is worser than bark.In fact they are banned in britain,china,france,australia and even in florida.They are a danger to pedestrians and children and believe me in south africa we have more pitbull attacks a year than three other dogs of any combination put together.A bill is being addressed to make the breed extinct from SA,namibia,zimbabwe,zambia,angola,malawi and botswana.I did my research.

You need to do more research.

[scotty,hmk]

I think pit bulls are a very respectable breed. I don't like how people are so judgemental, just because of the pit bulls past. The key thing is the they WERE for killing and guarding and such. It really just depends on the owners form of raising. I will admit that they are a very powerful breed and need to be taken seriously. You can't let down your dominance guard around them, if you are a good dog owner, pit bulls are wonderful and perfectly just a normal dog.

[BratBoxers]

Can some of you really say the things you have and still be a dog lover!?!?!

They were originally bred to bait boar, bear, etc. They were never bred to be human aggressive!

I have owned the breed and studied it for the last 10yrs. Try actually getting to know the breed and stop going off what you hear. BTW "Pit Bull" is not a breed it a general statement for many different breeds.

I would 100% choose a "Pit bull" type breed over a Lab. The difference between the lab and 'Pit Bull" Type breeds is the "Pit" Is more loyal, easier to train, 100% willing to do what is asked of them. Most human type personality I have ever seen in any breed I have come across.

I'm so sick right now from some of the statements I have read

They are not baby killers!

Please tell me, this is my 8 yr old APBT or AmStaff which ever you prefer same breed or suppose to be Tell me now when is she suppose to kill me/stranger or my child?!?! This dog is one of the best dogs! She keeps my chickens safe allows them to even roost on her. She took My chickens in the minute we brought them home as baby chicks a few months ago. Just one of the many stories I have of her.






Does she really deserve the rep she gets? No. Very sad that some of you feel the way you do.

This breed is not a guard dog by any means, they will protect their humans. Tigger actually saved my friend from being beaten by her husband.

Its about breeding the right temperament and placing in an appropriate home, not for the first time dog owner IMO.

Try watching the Dog whisper see how Cesar keeps all of the dogs and dog breeds including "Pit bull" types many of them.

They are not blood thirsty animals that can be controlled.

Just think about what some of you have said because it could be your reed targeted by the media next remember it used to be the Dob, Rot, GSD.

My Kennel club is actually trying to fight BSL here! Why should I loose my family pet because of stupid ppl?!?

[Jen D]

Originally Posted by scotty,hmk

I think pit bulls are a very respectable breed. I don't like how people are so judgemental, just because of the pit bulls past. The key thing is the they WERE for killing and guarding and such. It really just depends on the owners form of raising. I will admit that they are a very powerful breed and need to be taken seriously. You can't let down your dominance guard around them, if you are a good dog owner, pit bulls are wonderful and perfectly just a normal dog.

Staying on your toes! You are right there are numerous breeds that require the owner to be on there toes mine is one even though they haver been anything but lovable, I have had alot through my house and I am always aware of what they can do! They are also bred for the same as a pit!

Originally Posted by BratBoxers

Can some of you really say the things you have and still be a dog lover!?!?!

They were originally bred to bait boar, bear, etc. They were never bred to be human aggressive!

I have owned the breed and studied it for the last 10yrs. Try actually getting to know the breed and stop going off what you hear. BTW "Pit Bull" is not a breed it a general statement for many different breeds.

I would 100% choose a "Pit bull" type breed over a Lab. The difference between the lab and 'Pit Bull" Type breeds is the "Pit" Is more loyal, easier to train, 100% willing to do what is asked of them. Most human type personality I have ever seen in any breed I have come across.

I'm so sick right now from some of the statements I have read

They are not baby killers!

Please tell me, this is my 8 yr old APBT or AmStaff which ever you prefer same breed or suppose to be Tell me now when is she suppose to kill me/stranger or my child?!?! This dog is one of the best dogs! She keeps my chickens safe allows them to even roost on her. She took My chickens in the minute we brought them home as baby chicks a few months ago. Just one of the many stories I have of her.






Does she really deserve the rep she gets? No. Very sad that some of you feel the way you do.

This breed is not a guard dog by any means, they will protect their humans. Tigger actually saved my friend from being beaten by her husband.

Its about breeding the right temperament and placing in an appropriate home, not for the first time dog owner IMO.

Try watching the Dog whisper see how Cesar keeps all of the dogs and dog breeds including "Pit bull" types many of them.

They are not blood thirsty animals that can be controlled.

Just think about what some of you have said because it could be your reed targeted by the media next remember it used to be the Dob, Rot, GSD.

My Kennel club is actually trying to fight BSL here! Why should I loose my family pet because of stupid ppl?!?

thoes pics are so sweet!

[everest]

Originally Posted by BratBoxers

Can some of you really say the things you have and still be a dog lover!?!?!

They were originally bred to bait boar, bear, etc. They were never bred to be human aggressive!

I have owned the breed and studied it for the last 10yrs. Try actually getting to know the breed and stop going off what you hear. BTW "Pit Bull" is not a breed it a general statement for many different breeds.

I would 100% choose a "Pit bull" type breed over a Lab. The difference between the lab and 'Pit Bull" Type breeds is the "Pit" Is more loyal, easier to train, 100% willing to do what is asked of them. Most human type personality I have ever seen in any breed I have come across.

I'm so sick right now from some of the statements I have read

They are not baby killers!

Please tell me, this is my 8 yr old APBT or AmStaff which ever you prefer same breed or suppose to be Tell me now when is she suppose to kill me/stranger or my child?!?! This dog is one of the best dogs! She keeps my chickens safe allows them to even roost on her. She took My chickens in the minute we brought them home as baby chicks a few months ago. Just one of the many stories I have of her.

Does she really deserve the rep she gets? No. Very sad that some of you feel the way you do.

This breed is not a guard dog by any means, they will protect their humans. Tigger actually saved my friend from being beaten by her husband.

Its about breeding the right temperament and placing in an appropriate home, not for the first time dog owner IMO.

Try watching the Dog whisper see how Cesar keeps all of the dogs and dog breeds including "Pit bull" types many of them.

They are not blood thirsty animals that can be controlled.

Just think about what some of you have said because it could be your reed targeted by the media next remember it used to be the Dob, Rot, GSD.

My Kennel club is actually trying to fight BSL here! Why should I loose my family pet because of stupid ppl?!?

Cesar has a lot of pit bulls, because a lot of their previous owners couldnt handle them, and most people that own a pit bull arent cesar. I'm sure your dog is great, but i'm tired of hearing how gentle pit bulls are, yes under good circumstances with a good owner like yourself, i'm sure their great. BUT, a pit bull with a bad owner becomes more dangerous than other breeds. Maybe i just feel different because i've had bad experiences with pit bulls personally and with people i know, and i'm not bashing how you feel, just stating they can be very dangerous.

[blackrose]

Originally Posted by everest

BUT, a pit bull with a bad owner becomes more dangerous than other breeds.

Maybe a small toy dog, but not any other breed. That is just rediculous. ANY large dog with a bad owner can be dangerous. Dobermans, Saint Bernards, Mastiffs, Newfoundlands, Great Pyrs, German Shepherds, Cattle Dogs, Labradors, Boxers, Huskies, Malamutes, Chows, Border Collies, Rotties, Pointers, Bulldogs, Akitas, Airedale Terriers, Kerry Blue Terriers, Giant Schnauzers...any large breed dog is capable of hurting/killing someone.

I work in a boarding kennel. The only dogs that have ever tried to attack me were:
3 mini poodles
2 Huskies
1 Chinese Sharpei (this one almost succeeded...luckly, he wasn't bent on killing me, because if I held still and/or ignored him, he was fine.)
1 Bulldog
3 Labs
1 GSD
2 Border Collies
1 JRT (this one actually succeeded...I still have a scar on my hand from her)

and then in grooming:
2 Pugs
2 Chihuahuas
1 American Eskimo Dog
1 Labrador
1 Husky
1 Lab/Husky mix
numerous other small fluffy dogs.
and a couple of sedate dogs. One sedated Cocker hated being groomed so much that even under sedation he kept jerking his head to try and bite me while I was giving him a bath.
I'm sure that I missed a few, because dogs being butts for their bathes and grooms are pretty common, sadly.

And its funny...the three sweetest dogs I've ever had to bathe and board were two Pitties and a Wolf Hybrid.

This isn't meant to be argumentative, but just to show you that the breeds, including pit bulls, are going to follow certain patterns, and you just can't take what the breed was bred for, out of the equation.

Exactly! So why would a breed bred to NOT bite humans, if raised properly, bite a human? A Pittie WAS bred to fight, however, so trusting a Pittie 100% around another dog is stupid. Labs are inclined to be freindly toward people, and so are Pitties. Put a Lab in a bad home and guess what...it probably won't like people much! Same with a Pittie.

The key thing is the they WERE for killing and guarding and such.

But not for killing people....for killing other dogs. A dog that attacked people was culled, no questions asked.

Human aggression is a new thing that street thugs are incouraging in Pitties. It isn't the Pitties fault that they are the breed of choice. A couple of years ago it was the Dobes, Rotties, GSDs, and Akitas. Now it is the bully breeds.

I'm sure your dog is great, but i'm tired of hearing how gentle pit bulls are, yes under good circumstances with a good owner like yourself, i'm sure their great. BUT, a pit bull with a bad owner becomes more dangerous than other breeds.

So why should the Pitties with the good owners be taken away and killed when you just said yourself that it is the circumstance and the bad owners that turn them into bad dogs? Why should the dogs be punished and killed when it is the owner's fault? (I already addressed the "more than other breeds" thing.)

Should Petey, the dog off of the Little Rascals, have been hauled off and killed because he was a Pitbull? Should Stubby, a WWI doggy war hero, have been killed because he was Pitbull? Should the many Pitties trained in search and rescue be killed because they are Pitties? Should the many thearpy dogs that are Pitties be killed just because of their breed?

Should all Arabs be killed because a couple of bad apples blew up our world trade centers? NO! Arabs are great people. You shouldn't judge a whole race based on the bad apples. Nor should you judge a whole breed based on some bad apples!

To me, that is racism, pure and simple, only in the dog world and not towards human.

I think that you guys should check out this website:
www.badrap.org
--> or more specifically, this link:
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/breed.cfm

[ERINRHODES]

I Have A Female Pitbull And She Is The Best Dog Ever! She Just Had A Litter Of Puppies And She Is The Best Mom Now Also! I Love Her And She Is Great With My 3 Kids Also! So I Agree That It Is Not The Dog, It Is The Owner!!

[everest]

[quote=blackrose;82499]Maybe a small toy dog, but not any other breed. That is just rediculous. ANY large dog with a bad owner can be dangerous. Dobermans, Saint Bernards, Mastiffs, Newfoundlands, Great Pyrs, German Shepherds, Cattle Dogs, Labradors, Boxers, Huskies, Malamutes, Chows, Border Collies, Rotties, Pointers, Bulldogs, Akitas, Airedale Terriers, Kerry Blue Terriers, Giant Schnauzers...any large breed dog is capable of hurting/killing someone.
[quote]

I watch the news a lot, i havent heard of many newfoundland attacks, or pointer attacks. Maybe watching a pit bull kill a full grown horse by grabbing onto it's throat until it fell left a bad impression on me, maybe if it was a german shepherd i'd feel differently. Or maybe my neighbors dog being killed by a pit bull that got into there yard left a bad impression, or maybe even when i see 4 thugs each with a pit bull walk through the neighberhood park it leaves me with a bad impression. Like i've said, i'm sure a lot of you are good pit bull owners, but wether you like it or not, bad owners have made the pit bull stand out. Plus, everyone is making the point pit bulls aren't people agressive, their dog aggressive, well i dont know about you, but i care about my dog, and the fact that a pit bull will leave me alone but go after my dog still doesnt make me feel better.

[squirt1968]

We have a pit bull in the neighborhood and she is very dog aggressive. Cost one neighbor 360.00 vet bill. I have a small dog and now can't go for walks where we always did as she is outside the yard some and I wil not take the chance with my dog. I am afraid of them and don't apologize for my feelings.
I wish in my neighborhood they were outlawed. I think there are more people that do not spend the time training than do.

[RonE]

This thread has been stumbling around for almost five months. Instead of trying to scrape the mold off, let's start a fresh one.

Most threads probably have a useful shelf life of no more than about 60 days. The exceptions are the ones with timeless information. Those usually become stickies.

This one has become a stinky.