Pit Bulls

[JoeyGee]

I'm not trying to start anything (what a way to start a thread...) but I am curious to know what people think/believe/know about pit bulls. Our neighbor across the street recently got one, and I admit, I am a little nervous about it. There are a lot of little kids (including ours) running around the neighborhood all the time.

The dog has already growled and attempted to get to our friend's daschaund, and today the dog growled at LOML, without any provocation. I know, that could be any dog of any breed, and a lot depends on how dogs are trained and handled. The parents are gone a lot, and the dog is left with kids in the house most of the day.

Am I biased towards pit bulls? Should I be concerned? I am not a dog person, but I know many on here are and I am curious as to what people know that I don't.

[LCHIEN]

some species are naturally aggressive and pit bulls are known and bred for their aggressiveness. Now of course it varies from dog to dog just as certain characteristics can be found in some people. And of course even well trained animals can revert to instinctive behavior when triggered.

There's some who would ban this dog as being too aggressive and not suited for neighborhoods. Its not even like guns where they say guns don't shoot people, people shoot people. The Dogs can act on their own.

I suppose proponents of freedom and those opposed to excessive legislation would permit owners to have any dog or gun they want, but then you depend upon the owner to keep separation from children, adults and other animals. unlike a gun getting up and wlking out the door, The dogs actively try to get out of any confinement. By the time an accident occurs, its too late to fine the individual.

I'd be kind of leery of such a pet in my neighborhood, same as I would be for lions, tigers, leopards etc.

[Richard in Smithville]

I beleive you have to know dogs to be a Pit Bull owner. Look at the Pit Bulls Ceaser Romaro has. I would trust them 100%. Petie from the Little Rascals was a Pit Bull.

There is a Pit Bull ban in Ontario because too many owners could not handle the dogs and they were not trust worthy. I think I would not trust the average Pit Bull simply because people don't know how to be a Pit Bull owner.

[cabinetman]

There's a difference in the breed of the dog called "Pit Bull". Both breeds of the Staffordshire Bull Terrior, and the American Staffordshire Terrier (larger) are people friendly dogs. They make good family dogs.

There is a lot of bad press about the breed. Not much makes the media when an ankle biter goes on attack. Most dogs can be raised with predictable behavior. Of the attacks I wonder how many of those dogs were antagonized perpetrating the attack.

I think the reputation associated with the "Pit Bull" and the discovery of dog fight agendas have brought about the misunderstanding about the breed.
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[Black wallnut]

While bad pit bulls makes for good headlines they are far from the norm for this breed. What would you think if your neighbor owned a cocker spaniel that growled, or a poodle, or one of them skewer wiener dogs?

[bruce hylton]

If the dog is already going for people and not protecting someone in the immediate area, it is because someone is not smart enough to train it. You need to avoid it or pay extremely close attention whenever it may be in close proximity. Pack a pistol and shoot the owner if it comes over the fence to bite you. You will get free medical, room and board etc. courtesy of the local law. I am an animal person, but some need much more time and energy than others.

[Uncle Cracker]

Dogs' personalities are not irrevocably determined by breed. "Cello" was at least 3/4 pit bull, and had been abused and run through a dogfighting operation, but still became an integral part of our family, after being shown love and kindness. A little more background here.

But it's about how they are treated and cared for, and your situation may have more to do with that. How is the "suspect" animal treated by its owners? You may indeed have something to worry about, particularly if the animal feels it or its people, are threatened, but I suspect this could be said of practically any breed.

[Pappy]

A dog, or almost any domestic animal, is a product of its envioronment more than its breed. To say all pit bulls are vicious would be like saying all Commanche Indians are blood thirsty savages because of the history taught about the activities of some of them 100+ years ago.

My son has 2 Pits, I have one, and there is one on my route. None are anything but sweet, loving pets.

My son live in a trailer park (and I don't mean Mobile Home Community) and the other residents, and their kids, stay out of his yard unless invited. I don't see the dogs more thaan once a month and walk up to the fence, call them over to me, and pet them over the fence.

Jade lives on my route. I have never seen her leashed and if she is outsidewhen I pull up she will sit about 10' from the box and wait for me to turn the truck off before she comes up on the step to be petted. The carrot around her neck had a battery and blew bubbles for her to chase.



This is Bunny. She was a rescue at 6 wks old and may well be a mix. My 2 yr old grandson will grab her tail and pull it or climb on her back to ride. She has never as much as growled at him. She is just as gentle and loving with my 12 yr old granddaughter and gets along with other people and animals.





And she doesn't always look cute...



These 4 were all raised to be gentle pets but my son and I play rough with ours to give them the exercise they need. All of them are powerful, strong dogs. Like most dogs they are loyal to their families and would likely go at anyone that posed a threat. Because of the reputation of the breed, that would get them labled as vicious and probably ordered destroyed, provoked or not.

[annunaki]

Six Rescue Dogs

I have-

Great Dane
Large Black Terrier mix with blue tongue
Black Pit Bull
Dachshund
Jack Russel/Beagle mix
Chihuahua

Black Cat

They all get along, but the Chihuahua tries to get bossy with the Dane.

My PB is sweet and play fights with the 12 yr old Dane.

The Buster Brown Shoe dog was a Pit Bull, Spanky and His Gang had one with the black ring around one eye, RCA Victor Logo "His Master's Voice" was one.

[RAFlorida]

As others have noted;

it's how they were raised and treated. There are some who will be brutal to their dog just for the sake of raising a biter/fighter. Given love and attention will generally bring out the best in man's best friend. Just be on guard when you're outside.

[radhak]

I am a dog person, but with kids at home, I'd offer pragmatic advice.

Anecdotal evidence aside, Pit Bulls are responsible for the largest number of fatalities (percentage wise) in the US, accounting for more than a third of such deaths in the past few years. And since they are not a third of the dog population, there has to be something with the breed that is a problem. Even if it were 100% caused by they way they are raised (which I'm not sure of), it only shows that PB owners are more likely to rear aggressive dogs than any other, even rottweilers. So you are very right in being worried.

And if you have already seen them behaving aggressively without provocation, you need to be doubly cautious. For one, be sure to drum into your kids (and other kids around) never to approach a dog unless with adults around, and unless the owner of the dog is present and has explicitly given permission. And I'd rather you specifically ask kids to avoid petting some of these 'aggressive breeds' altogether. Safe rather than sorry.

I agree, other dogs bite too (even to cause death; after all, the rest two-thirds have to be accounted for!), but many of those are easier managed than PB who seems to have much stronger bites, and even stronger stubborn streak to refuse from opening their jaw when biting, so much so that rescue groups recommend pb-owners to carry a "break stick" to lever their dog's jaws open. Tells you something.

At the very least, look at it like this : while most owners who responded on this thread seem to be the ideal pb owners, your neighbor most likely isn't, and you need to guard against it.

[herb fellows]

I also believe the character of the dog is largely determined by the way it is trained/treated. I have known pit bulls that would lick you to death.
However, if a poodle decides to go after you, that's one thing; if a pit bull does, that's another entirely. Remember, it's the perception of the dog that makes him react, not necessarily reality.
The potential capabilities of a pit bull to cause damage if he decided to go after you for whatever reason would warrant a second look at that breed.
Given what you have already stated about the dog in question, I would be concerned.

[alpha]

With these responses, I think the answer to your question is Yes, you should be concerned. Keep in mind, terriers are very territorial (I don't know if that is where the name originated . . .). When you approach them they protect their territory. I bought my wife some mace to ward off unfriendly threats to her safety. You might want to consider it since it might come in handy some day.

Bob

[Cubsfan]

Interesting discussion. Denver has also outlawed them. It does seem like many pit bull attacks have the same story: the owner says that the dog has always been the nicest dog in the world, and they don't know what happened.

I found this page which was quite interesting:
http://dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html

According to the Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings. In more than two-thirds of the cases included in the study, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the animal in question. Clifton states:

If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed--and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price.

Clifton's opinions are as interesting as his statistics. For example, he says, "Pit bulls and Rottweilers are accordingly dogs who not only must be handled with special precautions, but also must be regulated with special requirements appropriate to the risk they may pose to the public and other animals, if they are to be kept at all."

Of course, I also saw a large number of pro-pit bull sites that I'm sure have studies with the opposite conclusions.

[Uncle Cracker]

I think the death and destruction image is because the breed has some strong tools for the trade... More bites are actually seen from the more nervous breeds like cockers, poodles and chihuahuas, but they just can't do the same amount of damage.

Outlawing dogs by breed is both reactionary and misguided, but some politicians are more concerned about their images than about being fair. Much too broad of a brush... It's like outlawing Corvettes because they're fast.