Pit Bulls

[Tom Slick]

I think there is a portion of pit bull owners that have the dog because it is mean, it goes with the attitude they want to portray.

Notice you rarely hear the breed in the news if it's a Rottweiler, Husky, Boxer, Dalmatian, Chow, or Doberman, yet they are on the "top ten" list of statistically most dangerous.

We wouldn't be having this discussion if any other breed was across the street but the news whips us all into a panic.

[TB Roye]

I have mixed feelinge on Pitts. My Niece was attacked by two who broke out of a yard. My 2 dogs belong to a "Pack" of 20 dogs at a local dog park. Include in that pack are 4 or 5 "true" pits who are wonderful dogs. Their owners have control and they are well behaved infact their behavior is better that a lot of the other dogs in the pack including my own. My youngest dog 18 months old, best friend is a young male named Dallas. Lola and Dallas go off on their own and play. He is a beautiful dog in looks and dispostion. We have never had an issure with any of the Pitts in the pack. Now in my neighborhood there are a number of pitts owned by the Michael Vic type individuals and I would not trust them any farther than I could throw them, they have caused problems at the park down the street and while walking my dogs in the neighborhood that many of us walk with a baseball bat or a gun for protection incase they get out. It has gotten to the point that I don't walk the dogs in the neighborhood anymore. Pitts can be a good dog depending on who owns them. It takes a special owner to train and care for these animals as they are an aggressive breed.

Tom

[germdoc]

I have never had a pit bull but had 2 Australian Cattle Dogs, which for some reason many people I met on my walks thought were pit bulls.

I had to have one of my dogs put down because he developed aggressive, dominant tendencies. In a household with young children, and in a neighborhood with other children and pets, this was not something I could live with.

ACD's, like pit bulls, are big strong dogs. If they attacked someone, the consequences could be terrible, so there is no margin for error. A perfectly trained dog with a friendly personality in the right environment is no problem, but anything less is asking for trouble.

My fiance has a big Plott Hound mix who is a sweetie to anything except rabbits and coons, while my Canaan Dog is sweet to humans but a little suspicious of dogs she doesn't know. Neither of them we think are bite risks, but we keep them in fenced areas and don't let them run loose.

In sum, all dog breeds have their own quirks, you need to know what you're getting into if you get a dog. If you get a big strong dog with a history of having been bred for fighting or guarding, you need to spend a lot of time training the dog and take measures to avoid dangerous situations. IMO a lot of people are not smart enough or don't have enough time to own and take care of dogs like pit bulls properly.

Just one more comment: "It's like outlawing Corvettes because they're fast." Corvettes aren't outlawed, but they do get more speeding tickets and insurance providers require higher premiums. That's a good analogy in the sense that just like high performance cars aren't for everyone, pit bulls aren't for everyone either.

[docrowan]

I don't own a dog and am ambivalent towards them. I have two young children and a third on the way. We live in a mostly open neighborhood and the neighborhood kids regularly walk and play throughout it (think Mayberry). We have several dogs in our neighborhood, but so far we've had no trouble other than barking. We have had some of the neighbor's little yap dogs (various breeds) run through our yard when they got out, and one of them chased our cat a bit, but I scared it bad enough it won't do that again if I'm outside.

A three year old in the city I work in was killed by a pit bull a few months ago. As noted in an earlier post, the dog had never had an incident before. It was reported that its owner used a baseball bat on the dog during the struggle to no avail. I could stop all the dogs currently in our neighborhood cold with an ax handle should it attack one of my children. Having seen the musculature and thick skulls on some pit bulls and rottweilers, I don't think I could stop one with anything but a gun if it got into a fury. Certainly not in time to save the child from mutilation or death.

Because of this I would feel extremely uncomfortable living in the same neighborhood with an animal that I could not stop during an attack. As noted before, it wouldn't matter to me the breed, or even the species, what matters is how likely am I to be able to stop the animal with whatever stick, rock, or tool happens to be handy.

As to the OP's comment about barking and growling, I accept barking as a dog's way of warning me that I'm approaching its territory, or just "I see you". On the other hand, I would treat a deep-throated growl from a powerful dog the same as if the neighbor cocked a pistol if I walked on the street in front of his house. It's a serious threat that should be reported to the local police.

[crybdr]

Agreed on the growling....that's not a good sign. Were teeth being beared? I'm apprehensive around pitts based upon news reports - no personal experiences though. I do believe that they can be great pets - but without a responsible owner, the aggressive+strength combo can be dangerous.

My dog (a yellow lab) occasionally barks at people walking by the house - but it's more of a 'hi, hi, hi, I'm here, come play with me, let me lick you' disposition.

The only time I have heard her growl was late at night (she could hear the buzzer of the unbalanced washing machine in the basement - I guess she didn't like it). Load rebalanced, buzzer stopped - growling stopped.

Please be careful with that dog across the street.

[Pappy]

I will admit that, though Bunny is raised and trained as a gentle pet, part of my reason for having her is because of the reputation of the breed and the natural fear people have of Pits. My wife is handicapped, in a wheelchair, and the dog gives a some hesitation to anyone coming around when she is alone. Hopefully long enough to get to one of the guns.

Additionally the subsidized apartments across the tracks are starting to rent. I want the extra deterent to anyone looking at my fence line.

[Uncle Cracker]

Just one more comment: "It's like outlawing Corvettes because they're fast." Corvettes aren't outlawed, but they do get more speeding tickets and insurance providers require higher premiums. That's a good analogy in the sense that just like high performance cars aren't for everyone, pit bulls aren't for everyone either.

Corvettes don't get speeding tickets... People get speeding tickets. The cause is an irresponsible driver, just like dog bites should be blamed on irresponsible owners. Blaming the dog just don't cut it, I'm sorry.

[germdoc]

Coincidentally, yesterday in the clinic I saw a young woman whose dog was attacked by a larger dog. The woman sustained a small bite to her thumb, no big deal but required medical attention.

She was walking her small Toto-type dog through a local park when her dog was attacked and killed by an English mastiff. The mastiff weighed 140#, and despite being on a leash the mastiff's owner was unable to control the dog.

The small dog owner has aquired doctor and vet bills of several hundred dollars, not to mention pain and suffering. The mastiff owner will be on the hook for probably THOUSANDS of dollars if and when the victim sues.

This proves my point that you MUST be able to control your dog at all times. If you can't, you shouldn't own the dog.